Muntu faces FDC boot

“Don’t be discouraged guys,” one member noted on a WhatsApp group, composed of Muntu’s supporters after the meeting, “Making that roadmap for new districts comes back to NEC. This seems like a temporary win. But I notice that MM (MugishaMuntu) is dejected.”

This could be what Mafabi intended to forestall by hastily writing the letter to hold elections disregarding the party’s Electoral Commission whose mandate it is to oversee that exercise.

At the meeting, Muntu appeared surrounded and overwhelmed. He was seated with Besigye, Mafabi, party chairman Waswa Birigwa and Party Treasurer Geofrey Ekanya all members of the defiance camp—the camp that has been gunning to oust him.

But another member noted that the weather towards November seems to be to in Muntu’s favour.

“An interaction with a section of the National Council delegates indicates dwindling trust in Nandala,” he noted, “In fact, our opponents still have the challenge of getting a candidate that will outweigh the principal. People are realising that there are two camps; one being a unifier and the other divisive.”

The party faithfuls are not ready to put the party in the hands of divisive extremists of Nandala (Mafabi) and Ingrid (Turinawe) type, he added.

Almost all say the June NC meeting revealed how the coming election could further split the party. FDC has since Muntu beat Nandala and replaced Besigye in the 2012 polls been torn into camps.

Initially, it was a Muntu camp and the Besigye camp, which by extension was also for Nandala. But later, Mafabi attempted to establish his own following largely because he did not get as much support from Besigye in the race against Muntu as he had hoped for.Party insiders say elections draw nearer, these divisions get deeper and hotter.

Muntu’s supporters want him to retain the presidency and use the position to be the party flagbearer in 2021. As party president, he will have party resources at his disposal and also find it easier to beat other potential contenders.

Besigye’s camp, on the other hand, prefers to have another candidate; like Patrick Oboi Amuriat or Nandala. Some defiance camp members claim they prefer a radical, which Muntu isn’t as one of their member Doreen Nyanjura expressed on her facebbok page. “Next is the FDC Party President race, of course as a voter, delegate, NEC member and someone very greedy for change, I will be at the front line. My support will go to one ready for the change that many of us have yearned for for a very long time. I will support a radical, I don’t mind if he is a new entrant or not.” She posted.

But Muntu supporters suspect the defiance camp just wants a candidate who will easily make way for Besigye should he wish to contest again in 2021 as is expected.

In each district, there will be district chairman, secretary district executive, treasurer, youth chairman, women’s league chairperson, two district delegates, chairman constituency and two constituency delegates.

Muntu and his team are also accused of attempting to lock some people out of the race for party President. The argument was that party’s rules bar anyone without a leadership position in the party’s leadership to stand for party presidency. According to Alaso and knowledgeable lawyers, that is incorrect. Any card bearing member who fulfills other conditions can stand.

The claim was that Muntu wanted to block Patrick Oboi Amuriat who currently holds no position in the party structures but has been positioning himself to become the Party’s chairman in Kumi Municipality.

While Amuriat would not ordinarily be considered a threat to Muntu, he is being fronted by the defiance camp of Besigye. Muntu and his team, sources say, might be strong in NEC but the defiance team of Besigye is more popular with the rest of the delegates.

Nandala meanwhile is being accused of being in cohorts with President Yoweri Museveni and the ruling NRM party. In May, Alaso accused him of holding un authorised meetings with government apparatchiks and cutting a deal to send anti-Muntu iron lady Ingrid Turinawe in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).  Alaso also likes to remind members that, with Nandala as SG and therefore in charge of mobilization, the number of FDC MPs has reduced from more than 12 MPs in Teso down to three. The same happened in Acholi and WestNile.

“Did the person in charge of the party seal sanction the wrong candidates ultimately causing some candidates to become independents and thereby reducing party strength in Parliament or not? Were the party primaries messed or not? Where is the accountability for the P10 money of about 130m?”Alaso asked in one Whatsapp post.

Meanwhile, Besigye was also forced to respond to allegations that he has built a following around himself and led people away from the party to pay allegiance to individuals.

“People come to me because I represent their aspirations,” he noted, “People are intelligent, they don’t rally behind individuals, they rally behind their interests and when their interests are betrayed, they abandon the individual.”

The recent crisis happened as the party was preparing for the Kyadondo East Bi-election. In that race alone, party support was torn between three candidates; Apollo Katinti, the official flag bearer, Nkunyingi Muwada, an FDC-leaning Independent and Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine who is a friend and loyal supporter of Besigye. Deciding who to support became a puzzler for party leaders and their supporters. As the confusion reigned, Muntu was seen by some as the weakest link.

****