FDC Defies Besigye, Releases Election Roadmap Amidst Crisis

By Gad Masereka

The leadership of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has published the polling schedule for the Party .

Totereuka Bwamwenda, the Party’s electoral chief, set the date for the parish elections as Friday, July 21, 2023 to July 23, 2023 in a statement on Thursday.

The exercise will culminate with district polls between Thursday, August 3, 2023, and August 6, 2023, according to his directive.

Part of the statement states, “We call upon all party members to actively participate in this very important exercise.”

However, Dr. Kizza Besigye, the founder of the FDC party, suggested that the elections be postponed until the disagreements are resolved when speaking to the media on Wednesday.

Besigye’s leadership was influenced by the fact that the party was split, with some members charging Party President Patrick Amuriat and Secretary General Nandala Mafabi with receiving “evil money” from a “wrong source.”

Ssemujju Nganda, a party spokesman, said earlier in the week that using “evil money,” polls had already been rigged before they (polls) had even started.

There was cinema as Wasswa Biriggwa, the National Chairman of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), escaped  by jumping over a fence at the party’s offices in Najjanankumbi after being kept there for hours.

A planned press briefing by the National Chairman at the party headquarters was thwarted after a group of bouncers and some party members barred journalists from entering the building where Biriggwa was due to address the media at 11 a.m.

A detailed video of how Ambassador Waswa Birigwa, the @FDCOfficial1 National Chairman, obtained ladders to climb out of party headquarters after being held captive for about 6 hours by his party president @PatrickAmuriat and secretary general @NandalaMafabi and their henchmen #OhUganda pic.twitter.com/eMBfr1Lrqv

The entrance to the party headquarters was closed as media arrived one by one. When Biriggwa arrived, he was given permission to enter the premises alone, while his car was left parked outside the gate. Biriggwa’s briefing was supposed to address issues with the party’s elections, but it did not take place.

The postponement of the party elections, which were initially slated for July 21, 2023, has resulted in internal party conflict. On July 14, Biriggwa suspended the polls following allegations that the Secretary-General, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, had introduced questionable money into the party. Members of the party, including Ibrahim Semujju Nganda and Erias Lukwago, accused Nandala and party president Eng. Patrick Amuriat of financial mismanagement.