FDC threatens to boycott the coming Interparty Dialogue summit

Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) threatens to boycott the coming Interparty Dialogue summit

The opposition political party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has threatened to boycott the coming Interparty Dialogue (IPOD) summit that’s to happen on Wednesday 4th, March 2020 if the government fails to provide remedies to the fading opposition political space in the country.

FDC to boycott Interparty Dialogue summit

FDC spokesperson, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda says that FDC will not participate in any meeting held under IPOD because security agencies have very much engaged in suffocating the opposition political activities ahead of the 2021 general elections.

This was witnessed in the past two weeks where opposition politicians and the police engaged in running battles with the Police blocking its activities with the help of the Public Order Management Act.

Among the blocked opposition political activities includes; the presidential consultative meetings of the Kyadondo east Legislator, Robert Kyagulany aka Bobi Wine and Dr Kizza Besigye Kiffefe leader People’s Government, former FDC President and the four-time presidential candidate.

For Besigye’s case, his meetings were halted in Jinja and declared unwanted visitor in Jinja by the Residential District Commissioner, Jinja District for proving to be a frequent visitor in Jinja only to disrupt business and traffic in the area.

Ssemmujju says, once the coming meeting with Uganda’s Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda does not give a clear interpretation of the Public Order Management Act, they will consider boycotting IPOD meetings.

“The moment the atmosphere under which we do politics remains as tense as it is and violent, there’s no need to go and meet anyone, that’s why we’ve got to tell Ruggunda that on Wednesday unless they find a solution we will not go into these meetings anymore,” Ssemujju said.

Tweet

“And we agreed among other things, one is the regulations made under the Public Order Management Act guiding Police on how to handle public meetings. Since then, five years later Ruggunda and his government have not issued these regulations, so the Police continue hiding under th

Tweet

Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda is expected to be at the meeting and according to Ssemujju, he will have to tell Ugandans whether political competitions have been thrown out of the country.

“FDC, of course, will ask Rugunda to clarify whether we are still under a multiparty arrangement in Uganda or it has been overthrown. We will also be asking him to clarify government position whether competition has been banned in politics,” Ssemujju noted.

Tweet

He says political parties should be allowed to hold party primaries without any hindrances in the coming Women Youth and People with Disabilities which are due next month.

Ssemujju believes the two People Power supporters Rita Nabukenya and Daniel Kyeyune were killed by the Police.

“Our belief as FDC is that Rita Nabukenya of People Power was murdered by Police,” Ssemujju said.

Tweet