FDC snubs second IPOD summit

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) says they will not attend the second Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) summit slated for Wednesday in Lira.   Party Spokesperson, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda described the meeting as a mere “social event.”

This is the second time that FDC is snubbing meetings organized by the coalition which brings together political parties with representation in parliament. These include the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), the Democratic Party (DP) Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC) and Justice Forum (JEEMA).

The IPOD summit brings together political parties’ leaders and the council, a forum of Secretary Generals of political parties. The council executive is responsible for proposing ideas and drafting documents which are later submitted to the summit of leaders for approval.  Like in the first summit, FDC has participated at council level but refused to attend the summit.

Ssemujju said the reasons that prompted them to reject invitations for the first summit have not been resolved. Top of these reasons is the harassment of FDC leaders and disruption of party events by security agencies.

“We are still under siege by various security agencies. Our legitimate rights to associate and assemble are still curtailed and the situation has gotten worse. We cannot speak to lower FDC leaders on whose behalf we transact business,” he said. “Who therefore shall we be representing at the summit?”

Ssemujju argued that political parties have previously, through IPOD put up electoral reform proposals which never saw the light of the day. He added that by attending the Lira meeting, Political Parties would be giving the impression that serious dialogue is going on which is the opposite of the reality.

Asked why FDC participates at council level where most of IPOD work is executed and boycott a day’s summit, Ssemujju said it is also possible for FDC to quit the IPOD umbrella like they once did, and returned with conditions.

“We have in the past withdrawn from IPOD, so you are asking us to do what we have done before? But we thought going back to tell them issues we are raising is important. Maybe at one time, we make a decision not to go back again,” he said.

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