The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Eng. Patrick Amuriat Oboi has taken oath of office as president of Forum For Democratic Change (FDC), marking a remarkable rise to the top of Uganda’s leading opposition party.
Beaten in the last parliamentary elections in Kumi, Amuriat looked the underdog at the start of the FDC presidential campaign but rode on ideological divisions in the party to secure an unlikely victory over incumbent Maj. Gen Mugisha Muntu.
Amuriat got 57.6 % of the vote (641) from the delegates last week, edging incumbent Mugisha Muntu who manged 463 votes 41.7%.
There were fears Muntu would create a third force in FDC or break away but he quashed all this with an announcment early this week promising to work within the party to create change.
“We had a very ferocious election I must admit but we are mature enough to handle whatever issues that were going on, ” Muntu said at the hand-over ceremony at Najanankubi on Friday.
Amuriat’s candidature was heavily boosted by what many see as support from the party’s top honcho, former president Kizza Besigye. Another main Amuriat campaigner was FDC mobiliser Ingrid Turinawe, who is very close to Besigye and a key member of the defiance camp.
Another contender also seen as a Besigye loyalist, legislator Mubarak Munyagwa even stepped out of the race to throw his weight behind Amuriat.
The incumbent Muntu’s campaign was marred by accusations that he is an NRM mole in FDC, Uganda’s leading opposition party.
Newly elected @FDCOfficial1 party president @PatrickAmuriat set to be officially sworn in today at party headquarters in Najja #Fdcdecides2017 @observerug pic.twitter.com/e0QSKO7xiU
— nicholas Bamulanzeki (@bamulanzeki) December 1, 2017
Out going party president @mugishamuntu arrives pic.twitter.com/GnSwFjdy1i
— nicholas Bamulanzeki (@bamulanzeki) December 1, 2017
@mugishamuntu ; If anything happens I want to believe that we will be together for the transformation of this country which we can’t do unless we take power. Live #NBSUPdates #FDCSwearingInCeremony @nbstv
— Mable Twegumye Zake (@MableTwegumye) December 1, 2017
@PatrickAmuriat ; the suffering we went through during campaigns isn’t going to dampen our spirits for the liberation of this country. Live @nbstv #FDCSwearingInCeremony #NBSUPdates
— Mable Twegumye Zake (@MableTwegumye) December 1, 2017
