Besigye asks to resign

Dec 17, 2011

The FDC founding President Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye has told the party leaders that he wants to resign from the party's presidency.

By Moses Mulondo
 
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) founding President Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye has told the party leaders that he wants to resign from FDC presidency.
 
According to sources within the party, the retired colonel, who has contested for the Uganda presidency three times, wants to create ample time for the next party leader to consolidate him/herself in leadership early enough before the 2016 elections.
 
The FDC party spokesperson Wafula Oguttu confirmed the reports that Besigye had already made up his mind to retire from the FDC party leadership even before his term expires in 2014.
 
“Dr. Besigye has been telling us that he wants to cut short his term to provide more time for the next leader to widen his influence and consolidate himself,” Wafula said.
 
The FDC publicist explained that Besigye’s request to retire before his term ends will have to be endorsed by the party organs of the National Council, the National Executive Committee, and the Delegates Conference. Sources always revealed that whereas most of the ordinary party members want Besigye to stand for presidency in 2016, majority of the top party leaders, especially the MPs, have advised him not to stand again to set an example for other political parties in the country that a political struggle is never about what an individual becomes.
 
The party leaders yesterday met in Najjanankumbi and one of the things they discussed was to hold a Delegates Conference next year to, among other things, address the question of the next party’s leader. 
 
Some of the FDC leaders who have been proposed to succeed Besigye include former army commander Gen. Mugisha Muntu, the leader of opposition in Parliament Nathan Nandala Mafabi, Bugweri MP and shadow attorney general Abdu Katuntu, Reagan Okumu, FDC vice-president Salaam Musumba and former Buganda Katikkiro Joseph Mulwanyammuli Ssemogerere.
 
Some top leaders like Okumu have, however, already vowed not to accept someone from western Uganda as the next party president.
 

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