The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Forum for Democratic Change-FDC party in Masaka sub-region is struggling to identify flag bearers to contest for various leadership positions in the 2021 general elections.
Besides failing to front candidates for positions for Special Interests Groups whose nominations ended last week, the party is also yet to identity flag bearers for all other elective positions in the nine districts of Masaka sub-region.
Out of the nine districts, FDC has only managed to front two aspirants in Kyotera and Rakai districts for LCV, five aspirants for parliamentary seats and eighteen councilors for local government positions.
The other key leadership position the party has failed to front an aspirant is the Masaka city mayoral seat. This is after the incumbent and FDC flag-bearer Godfrey Kayemba chose to contest in one of the newly created city divisions.
Joseph Ssenzoga, the greater Masaka regional FDC general secretary attributes the shortage of candidates to the limited number of people in the area who conform to the party’s political ideology.
He explains that many leaders in the area are driven by selfish interests other than the general pursuit of realizing real change in the country which FDC stands for.
Ssenzoga says that they are not bothered by candidates’ shortage as long as they can retain reliable people that can genuinely stand for the party values.
He argues that despite the shortage in numbers of flag bearers, the party is still blossoming in the area. Ssenzoga adds that some aspirants are still afraid of publicly identifying themselves with opposition parties due to likely repercussions from state agents.
Ssenzoga also adds that the current financial constraints largely created by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic have also largely frustrated many would-be aspirants because they cannot meet the costs associated with campaigns.
Charles Ssekabira Lubega the FDC mobilization secretary for Kyotera and Rakai districts argues that besides the shortage of funds required to mobilize for candidates at all levels, they are also being demobilized by People Power coordinators who are currently encroaching on the existing FDC structures for recruitment.
He claims that several of the candidates they had earlier identified were later duped into seeking nomination forms and running on the National Union Platform- NUP tickets.
According to revised FDC election roadmap, the party is by this time expected to be reviewing petitions from candidates with complaints from the primary polls and internal nomination exercises.
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