FDC changes course on members joining People Power

Jul 29, 2019

“As far as we know; People Power is just a pressure group with the same agenda"

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has made a U-turn on its members who joined the People Power pressure group, an initiative led by the Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi commonly known as Bobi Wine.

Last week, while addressing journalists at Dr Kiiza Besigye's home in Kasangati, the party's spokesperson, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda said all those members who had joined People Power would be summoned.

Semujju said the party would sit and decide what to do with the errant members.

However, while addressing journalists at the party's weekly press briefing, John Kikonyogo said FDC is a democratic party which allows the freedom of associations as long as it does not contradict with the party rules and regulations.

"As far as we know; People Power is just a pressure group with the same agenda. Our members are free to assemble. We cannot hold our people in servitude like other parties," he explained.

Review new electoral amendment

The party also asked the government to go back and review its newly proposed electoral amendments; saying they were only taking the country backwards like uncivilised people.

They wondered why the Attorney General, William Byaruhanga came up with the amendments when the country is headed for general elections in 2021.

"Why now?" Kikonyogo asked.

Kikonyogo said it is very surprising that the same government refused to implement the previously recommended reforms by Supreme Court ahead of the 2016 general elections only to come up with the new their own proposed amendments.

Byaruhanga last week tabled before Parliament, four proposed amendment bills intended to reform the existing electoral reforms.

They include; The Presidential Elections Amendment Bill 2019, The Parliamentary Elections Amendment Bill 2019, The Electoral Commission Amendment Bill 2019 and The Political Parties Amendment Bill 2019.

Some of the proposals include; allowing the Police and the Army to vote five days ahead of the official polling date, prohibiting independent presidential candidates from forming alliances with any registered party, no allowing electrical devices like cameras and phones with the precincts of the polling areas while the Electoral Commission (EC) will be required to gazette restricted voting areas.

Political parties will not be allowed to have any links with to pressure groups and those who want to stand as independents must have forfeited their party membership at lead one year to the polling date.

Kikonyogo said it is so weird to refuse cameras and phones around polling areas.

"When we talk of free and fair elections, the exercise must be transparent to the public and the media. Why do they fear cameras?" he asked.

He noted that the EC gazetting restricted polling areas might lead to ghost polling stations.

Kikonyogo said refusing parties to have links with pressure groups and independent candidates not to associate with political parties is unconstitutional "to legislate on who I assemble with."

They also asked MPs not to pass such bills to avoid regrets in future. "These new proposed amendments affect everyone whether NRM or opposition."

FDC still demanded for an independent EC whose selection of commissioners and staff must follow an open process, removal of the Army out of the electoral process, separation of the state from the ruling party, repealing the Public Order Management Act (POMA), restore presidential term limits and involve all stakeholders in the process and procuring of electoral materials among others.

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