FDC unmoved by poll placing Besigye behind Bobi Wine

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) says it is not bothered by an opinion poll that has placed the party’s four-time presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye in a distant third position, among presidential contenders.

The poll by Research World International placed Besigye behind President Museveni and Kyadondo East legislator, Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine.

If Uganda went to the polls last month, Museveni would score 32 per cent, followed by Bobi Wine with 22 per cent and Besigye with 13 per cent, indicated the poll, conducted among 2,042 respondents aged 18 and above across the country.

When results of the latest poll were published by Sunday Monitor, the party’s diehards were quick to raise from the dust a 2015 poll which gave Museveni 51 per cent, Besigye 32 per cent, and Amama Mbabazi 12 per cent. But Besigye scored 35.1 per cent in the election results, Museveni 60.6 per cent while Mbabazi got 1.39 per cent in the 2016 elections.

FDC Spokesperson, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda says the history of previous polls by Research World International will absolve Dr Besigye. Ssemujju says the FDC will use the poll outcome for internal research but they are quite confident that it’s inaccurate.

IPOD Summit  

Meanwhile, the party still has no stand on whether they will attend the Inter-party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) second summit slated for May 15. FDC snubbed the first summit in November last year.

Party leaders have been threatening to snub the second summit over alleged brutalization by security agencies, although they have been participating in IPOD preparatory activities ahead of the second summit.

For instance, they have been part of an ongoing discussion on drafting regulations that will guide the implementation of the Public Order Management Act (POMA), 2013. Political parties through IPOD are trying to iron out contentious issues such whether the police is mandated to authorize their meetings.

Ssemujju says FDC is still a member of IPOD and will participate in its activities except those which they view as irrelevant in the struggle against the Yoweri Museveni-leadership. He says the party leadership hasn’t met to make decisions on whether to attend second IPOD summit or not.

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