Muntu explains FDC next move after EALA polls

FDC president Maj Gen (rtd) Mugisha Muntu. Photo/File

For the second East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) term, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) will not send a representative to the regional assembly after two of its candidates lost EALA elections recently. New Vision interviewed FDC president Maj Gen (rtd) Mugisha Muntu on what next for the main opposition party. Below are excerpts.

Is FDC going to challenge the results of the just-concluded EALA elections in the East African Court of Justice?
In the last meeting we sat in we asked our legal department to give us the legal interpretation of all that happened and then we will be guided by that to make a decision as to what options are open to us and which options to choose to take.

So in the next meetings we (the working committee and National Executive Committee) will be able to get that feedback and then we will be able to make a decision based on that. That will be within a week. We are not going to make any decision based on emotions or sentiments or whatever.

We are going to make a decision based on a clear analysis of what we went through from a legal perspective. Even if we are to take any political option it will be based on a sober analysis of what we went through.

Has FDC decided to cease cooperation with UPC and DP for allying with the ruling party to deny it a slot in EALA again?
We have not yet discussed that. We have discussed EALA as a separate issue but we have not discussed Interparty Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) in relation to EALA at all. If we are going to discuss it, it will be brought and we will discuss it. However, we are not in IPOD in any form of alliance.

We are there as four different parties that happen to be in parliament. That is what IPOD is all about. So even when we are discussing any issues in regard to IPOD, we discuss them as individual parties and each would bring its views, its proposals and then any discussion that will be taken will be taken on the basis of a consensus.

In his maiden speech after he was declared winner of the 2016 elections, President Yoweri Museveni announced he would wipe out the Opposition completely in the next five years. In light of what happened recently, is Museveni's plan to wipe out Opposition taking shape?
That is what Museveni says, we can't get bothered by what Museveni says. What I care about is what we ourselves we want to do. As long as we do what we want to do we will be continuing building our capabilities as a party and salvage the country? Every party will have to make its own choice as to what they want to do, which direction they want to take.

We as leaders in FDC we are responsible for FDC we are not responsible for any other party. So we must keep focused on what we do ourselves, not so much what anybody else does in as far as I am concerned.

So what next for FDC? What can you tell your supporters?
We should concentrate on building our own strengths as FDC to be able to salvage the country because whatever happened in parliament basically is because of the numbers. If we had adequate numbers nobody would be pushing us around like they do.

So that is where we have to concentrate. Any other thing is just secondary thing. That is the logical path that we must take. While we may recognize other challenges that there might be but we must not let any such challenges divert us from the primary objective of building our own strengths.