The Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party leadership has stressed that they will not form an alliance with the National Unity Platform (NUP) due to legal issues they are currently facing.
While meeting delegates and party flag bearers from the districts of the Rwenzori sub-region at Rwenzori International Hotel on Tuesday, party president, Patrick Oboi Amuriat, noted that the issue of alliances is supposed to be for the common good of regime change but not leadership of democracy seeking forces. He explained that if at all there is need for an alliance, it will be done after the elections.
“We would not make an alliance with people power, the pressure group that was not legally recognized, with no structures, even when it changed under NUP, it is still in courts of law, whose fate is not known, the reason we in FDC can’t be part of them,” Mr Amuriat said.
He noted that the issue of alliances is supposed to be for the common good of regime change but not leadership of democracy seeking forces. He explained that if at all there is need for an alliance, it will be done after the elections.
“We cannot form a coalition at this time if it is to be done, it must be after the elections and it must be there for regime change but not power-sharing” he said.
Mr Amuriat was flanked by party chairman Mr Wasswa Birigwa who were both campaigning for party presidential flag bearer for the forthcoming 2021 general election.
“The cost of this election is going to be enormous, going outside the roof and a big district like Kasese needs between 20,000 to 30,000 posters which is worth Shs3 million for one person is quite high given the number of districts that we have and also other candidates on the lower levels,” Amuriat said.
However, Mr Saul Mate, the FDC party chairperson for Kasese District warned those who lost in the party primaries and opted to stand as independents. He referred to them as the party’s worst enemies.
“I actually discourage the idea of coming as independents once you lose in primaries, it weakens the party and a reconciliation committee has been out in place to sort out grievances that could have resulted from primaries,” he said.
In the same vein with Mr Mate, Mr Aloysius Baguma Kighema, the Busongora South FDC flag bearer said, “I wonder why party members have continued to contest as independents even when they vowed to rally behind their opponents if they failed during campaigns.”
Last month, the FDC Kasese Electoral Commission held primary elections and declared Aloysius Baguma Kighema as the flag bearer for Busongora South parliamentary seat beating the incumbent MP Jackson Mbaju Katika who has since decided to contest as an independent candidate come 2021.