Muntu scoffs at calls for his impeachment

FDC president Mugisha Muntu gestures during the press conference at the party headoffices in Najjanankumbi. Photo by Nancy Nanyonga

Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president Gen. Mugisha Muntu has lashed out at the youth in the party who are pushing for his impeachment, saying they should look for their own candidate who they can rally behind in the forthcoming party presidential elections. 

This follows reports of a section of FDC youth writing to the party leadership citing a number of reasons why Muntu should step down as party president. 

Muntu among many reasons is being accused of assuming the powers of the party's secretary general, Nandala Mafabi. They cite the just concluded East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) elections where he allegedly took on Mafabi's role to determine the party candidates for the race. 

"I haven't seen the letter myself from the group of youth who say they want to impeach me. However we are an open party, FDC is not a prison, we have the capacity as a party to meet and resolve these issues"​  Muntu said. 

He made these remarks during the weekly press briefing at the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi. 

"We are doing our best to build a strong foundation, built on values, principles and fulfilling the objectives for which we stand for as a party. So we are always open to debate. I understand when someone told me that one of the reasons they are citing is that I undermine cohesion. We must be operating in a totally different environment" Muntu said. 

He however advised the party members that want his impeachment to wait for November when the party will decide its new leader. 

"We are left with just seven months. November is not far, so if they don't blend in with my management style, let them look for a candidate and back him or her and then we will go into campaigns and the party will decide which direction it wants to take and which management style it prefers" he said. 

It is in this line that he expressed his interest to stand again in the forthcoming elections as party president.  

According to the recently released road map, the party's presidential elections are slated for November 2nd. 

"Many times I just lie down and people walk all over me simply because I want to maintain cohesion in the party. But to those who are rioting now, my advice is if that document arrives (impeachment letter), we will look at it and respond to it" Muntu asserted. 

"If I was someone who was erratic, if I was someone who doesn't build for cohesion, this party would have fallen apart. I am not going to go into internal details, when we have our internal meetings we will discuss a number of things. I normally hesitate to discuss some of these issues to the public" he added. 

However the party's national youth leader Idi Ouma, who was also present at the briefing, denied any knowledge of the impeachment letter stating that it is a section of youth that could be behind such wrangles in the party and that does not represent the position of the youth in the party. 

"In any official communication of the youth I am the one to issue the statement, but it is a right of every youth in this country to speak his mind, but that mind does not necessarily mean the position of the youth in this party" Ouma said.