FDC rival factions should show their strength on the ballot not in funerals
Uganda is still a young country democratically and I think we are not yet ready for multi-party dispensation.
Op-Ed: It was troubling to witness how chaos engulfed the burial of a pioneer member of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Sarah Tino Eperu in Koloin Village, Kapir Sub-County Ngora District over the weekend.
The commotion resulted from the struggle between the two rival FDC camps of Najjanakumbi and Katonga on which camp should be in charge of the burial programme of their senior party member.
The party which started as Reform Agenda in 2001 before rebranding to Forum for Democratic Change in December 2004 and eventually becoming the leading opposition party in the country has now degenerated to fighting to be chief mourners in burials.
I would rather the rival factions in FDC show us their might on a ballot paper by fighting to win elective positions which they can use to provide alternative policies for this country and check the government in power.
However, for party leaders to reduce themselves to fighting to be chief mourners is an embarrassment to the people of Koloin, party supporters and Uganda as a country. The leaders of the two rival camps owe an apology to the mourners whom they embarrassed that day.
Some Ugandans are wishing for the reunion of the FDC party members right from the likes of Gen. Mugisha Muntu and his Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) group because the party until 2017 played a key role in shaping the politics of the country.
In fact one may argue that some of the irritating things happening now in the 11th parliament are as a result of lack of a strong leading opposition party in place.
What is becoming clear is that the Najjanakumbi and Katonga camps still need each other much as there are differences between them and that is why each camp is eager to know what the other is doing where and how.
This is seen in the countrywide consultative meetings which the Katonga faction initiated in March this year as they prepare to breakaway from the FDC Najjanakumbi.
This development has sent shockwaves to the FDC supporters especially those under the Najjanakumbi led group and other political parties in the country who are now wondering what the future holds for the once leading opposition party in the country.
Breaking away and fighting to be chief mourners in funerals won’t help the either sides to achieve their goals and objectives, but putting aside their egos, accepting the reality and forgiveness would see FDC bounce back as a leading opposition party in the country looking at how the National Unity Platform (NUP) has started shaking with only three years as leading opposition party in parliament.
Not so long ago when Gen. Mugisha Muntu broke away with the likes of Winnie Kiiza, Alice Alaso, Paul Mwiru and others to form the Alliance for National Transformation. The new party participated in the 2021 general elections and their candidate, Mugisha Muntu garnered 67,574 votes and the party lost miserably.
This breakaway affected even the FDC’s performance where they were only able to send about 30 MPs to the 11th Parliament. They say history repeats itself, so, the Najjanakumbi and Katonga factions ought to know that they need each other if they are to move any further.
Uganda is still a young country democratically and I think we are not yet ready for multi-party dispensation because most political parties in the country are identical with some individuals and once such individuals find themselves out of the party, the party can move forward.
There is hardly no political party in Uganda which has not gone through what FDC is currently experiencing, but what has helped them is how they are able to resolve the matters internally.
The author is Julius Obongo, a concerned citizen.
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