The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Forum for Democratic Change-FDC presidential hopefuls, Wasswa Biriggwa and Patrick Oboi Amuriat have rallied party supporters within Busoga region to unite ahead of next year’s general elections.
The duo made the call while addressing party delegates from the 11 districts of Busoga region in Ambercourt gardens on Friday. This is part of the joint campaigns being held by the two presidential aspirants, for a choice of who will face off with contenders from other political parties, in the forthcoming presidential elections.
Biriggwa is fronting a program that is based on his fiscal policy, while Amuriat is basing his campaign on promising to take forward Dr Kizza Besigye’s defiance campaign to reclaim what he calls the lost glory of Uganda’s democracy. But despite their difference in ideologies, Biriggwa advises that all contestants should have healthy political competing spaces where losers can freely share their manifestos even after the defeat and promote unity within the party.
Citing his joint campaign with Amuriat as an example, Wasswa said that politics is a game where contestants should embrace political maturity by working with their opponents who present divergent views to foster development above self-interests.
Amuriat, on the other hand, said that the party leadership is rooting for the revival of power-10, a group of village mobilizers who are assigned the duty of voluntarily rallying grass-root support for the party. He stresses that irrespective of any differences, party members should team up with power-10 members to jointly harness for support and unity with some dissatisfied members.
Amuriat further argues that although some FDC sponsored MPs defected, they are relying on grassroots support to re-energize the party.
The candidates have been traversing different parts of the country, ahead of elections to be held on October 6. The two candidates will be voted for by the National Council, which comprises MPs, district chairpersons and members of the National Executive Committee.
Under the programme, the district chairpersons will first convene delegates from their respective districts to obtain a mandate to elect a presidential candidate on their behalf at the party headquarters.
Meanwhile, Abubaker Maganda, the Jinja city FDC chairperson says that some party members had opted to leave the party following disagreements arising from the recently concluded primaries. however, with encouragement from their top leadership, several of them have expressed support towards the party’s elected flag bearers.
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