The story behind the DP-FDC quarrels
Aug 16, 2007
THE outbursts between the Democratic Party (DP) and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) during the Kalungu East bye-election are more than a struggle for a parliamentary seat. DP members think that FDC has a plan to “swallow them up†and has launched a counter-offensive with equal doses of ven
By Joshua Kato
THE outbursts between the Democratic Party (DP) and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) during the Kalungu East bye-election are more than a struggle for a parliamentary seat. DP members think that FDC has a plan to “swallow them up†and has launched a counter-offensive with equal doses of venom.
Kampala mayor Nasser Sebaggala has been at the centre of the seven-year-old bond between DP and FDC, and it is not surprising that he has been at the helm of the counter-offensive. In 2001, elements in DP, led by Sebaggala and John Ssebaana Kizito announced that they had formed an alliance with the Reform Agenda of Col. Kizza Besigye. What turned out to be a “union of convenience†was sealed after Sebaggala was barred from standing for the presidency.
There is no doubt that the Reform Agenda (RA), Besigye’s first political group got a huge mileage from the union. In fact, many of the first members of the RA were formerly members of DP. Of course, DP was not happy that these people went away. Notable among them was Odonga Otto (MP Aruu), Kasiano Wadri (MP Terego) and Prof. Ogenda Latigo (MP Agago and Leader of Opposition).
In 2006 again, Sebaggala had a loose alliance with FDC, after he dropped out of the presidential race. He had stood as an independent candidate and later stood as an independent for the mayoral seat.
Sebaggala also argues that DP’s youth groups, for example from Ndeeba and Katwe in Kampala have been instrumental in supporting FDC-organised rallies and demonstrations in the city.
Subsequently, FDC’s Beti Kamya won in Rubaga North and Nabilah Nagayi won the Kampala Women seat. “If it was not for the DP youth, FDC would never have had any successful demonstration,†Sebaggala says.
DP sees all this cooperation as having benefited FDC more than them. In the real sense, FDC is stronger in Parliament, since it has four times the number of seats DP has. DP has got nine MPs, compared to the 40 that FDC has.
Sebaggala argues that even if DP got one or two more MPs, their numbers would still be insignificant. This, FDC argues, is why they should not allow DP to get more seats in Parliament.
DP also argues that it has had a big input in supporting all the FDC MPs currently in Parliament, especially those from Buganda. DP is the strongest opposition party in Buganda, with eight MPs compared with FDC which has four.
Analysts say the fight for FDC to have more seats in Buganda, and perhaps become the dominant opposition party in the area, is overriding all the opposition cooperation talk. On the other hand, DP cannot simply let go without a fight.
This is why both groups are determined to field candidates in Mukono North and Buikwe South should bye-elections be declared there. Although DP’s Betty Nambooze is seen as stronger than FDC’s Dr. Elizabeth Kiwalabye, FDC insists that Nambooze must stand down for their candidate. This baffles DP.
However, FDC special envoy and Rubaga North MP Beti Kamya says: “It is our policy to put up candidates because this is one way of reaching down to the people. We are still a young party, only two years old. We have to reach down to the people.â€
But according to DP, this is a case of FDC reaping from where they never sowed. After the 2006 elections, FDC decided not to file any petitions, apart from the presidency. DP, however, argued that if they had done it, they would have knocked out many Movement MPs. In FDC, only Abdul Katuntu filed a petition against Kirunda Kivejinja in Bugweri and won.
On the other hand, DP filed numerous petitions, including Betty Nambooze against Peter Bakaluba Mukasa (Mukono North) and Dr. Bayiga Lulume against NRM’s Anthony Mukasa in Buikwe South. DP wonders why FDC, which was against petitioning, is now turning around to put up candidates in bye-elections.
However, FDC looks at DP as a disappointment. Because DP has 16 of the councillors in Kampala City Council, Besigye accused them of conniving with the Government to sell off markets.
There is also the issue of getting more members. The pool of new members for the opposition groups remains the same. Major defections from NRM to the opposition took place over four years ago. And worryingly for the opposition, more and more of their members are defecting to NRM. And yet, a party like FDC must set up grassroots networks throughout the country. “FDC is like Mabira forest. When you see it from a distance, it looks very thick. But when you enter parts of it, you realise that there are very few trees worth talking about,†observes a DP supporter.
To fill these gaps in the absence of major defections from the ruling party, FDC has to turn against fellow opposition groups.
Such fighting amongst the opposition is not healthy on their part, but good music in the ears of NRM. One would have thought that in a bid to defeat NRM, the opposition must be united. Otherwise, NRM candidates might easily sail through all the three bye-elections. The Movement views the whole melodrama, just like a grasshopper catcher watches grasshoppers eating each other from inside his bottle.
The other feature that came out of Kalungu is Besigye’s priorities in all the bye-elections. Although Besigye spent at least three days in Kalungu, he never went to Kamuli during the April LC5 bye-elections. One would think that Besigye should have gone to Kamuli, to support his vice-president, Salaamu Musumba, in her bid to become LC5 chairperson.
Analysts are putting forward several theories. One of them is that Besigye never thought that Musumba had a chance of winning the seat. Besides, Kamuli is an NRM stronghold and so he thought that if he had presented himself there, it would have changed the whole affair into an FDC versus NRM race and yet Musumba was running the race almost on individual merit.
The other theory is that Besigye never consented to Musumba’s bid. FDC sources say that Besigye had advised Musumba to concentrate on developing the party’s capacity, in Busoga, rather than taking up administrative roles.
“The argument was that an LC5 chairperson is collectively responsible with the Government for whatever goes wrong. It was thought that Musumba would be tied down with these administrative roles, to the detriment of the party,†says an FDC source. The country should be set for more inter-party fighting, as another six bye-elections are likely.
jkato@newvision.co.ug
THE outbursts between the Democratic Party (DP) and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) during the Kalungu East bye-election are more than a struggle for a parliamentary seat. DP members think that FDC has a plan to “swallow them up†and has launched a counter-offensive with equal doses of venom.
Kampala mayor Nasser Sebaggala has been at the centre of the seven-year-old bond between DP and FDC, and it is not surprising that he has been at the helm of the counter-offensive. In 2001, elements in DP, led by Sebaggala and John Ssebaana Kizito announced that they had formed an alliance with the Reform Agenda of Col. Kizza Besigye. What turned out to be a “union of convenience†was sealed after Sebaggala was barred from standing for the presidency.
There is no doubt that the Reform Agenda (RA), Besigye’s first political group got a huge mileage from the union. In fact, many of the first members of the RA were formerly members of DP. Of course, DP was not happy that these people went away. Notable among them was Odonga Otto (MP Aruu), Kasiano Wadri (MP Terego) and Prof. Ogenda Latigo (MP Agago and Leader of Opposition).
In 2006 again, Sebaggala had a loose alliance with FDC, after he dropped out of the presidential race. He had stood as an independent candidate and later stood as an independent for the mayoral seat.
Sebaggala also argues that DP’s youth groups, for example from Ndeeba and Katwe in Kampala have been instrumental in supporting FDC-organised rallies and demonstrations in the city.
Subsequently, FDC’s Beti Kamya won in Rubaga North and Nabilah Nagayi won the Kampala Women seat. “If it was not for the DP youth, FDC would never have had any successful demonstration,†Sebaggala says.
DP sees all this cooperation as having benefited FDC more than them. In the real sense, FDC is stronger in Parliament, since it has four times the number of seats DP has. DP has got nine MPs, compared to the 40 that FDC has.
Sebaggala argues that even if DP got one or two more MPs, their numbers would still be insignificant. This, FDC argues, is why they should not allow DP to get more seats in Parliament.
DP also argues that it has had a big input in supporting all the FDC MPs currently in Parliament, especially those from Buganda. DP is the strongest opposition party in Buganda, with eight MPs compared with FDC which has four.
Analysts say the fight for FDC to have more seats in Buganda, and perhaps become the dominant opposition party in the area, is overriding all the opposition cooperation talk. On the other hand, DP cannot simply let go without a fight.
This is why both groups are determined to field candidates in Mukono North and Buikwe South should bye-elections be declared there. Although DP’s Betty Nambooze is seen as stronger than FDC’s Dr. Elizabeth Kiwalabye, FDC insists that Nambooze must stand down for their candidate. This baffles DP.
However, FDC special envoy and Rubaga North MP Beti Kamya says: “It is our policy to put up candidates because this is one way of reaching down to the people. We are still a young party, only two years old. We have to reach down to the people.â€
But according to DP, this is a case of FDC reaping from where they never sowed. After the 2006 elections, FDC decided not to file any petitions, apart from the presidency. DP, however, argued that if they had done it, they would have knocked out many Movement MPs. In FDC, only Abdul Katuntu filed a petition against Kirunda Kivejinja in Bugweri and won.
On the other hand, DP filed numerous petitions, including Betty Nambooze against Peter Bakaluba Mukasa (Mukono North) and Dr. Bayiga Lulume against NRM’s Anthony Mukasa in Buikwe South. DP wonders why FDC, which was against petitioning, is now turning around to put up candidates in bye-elections.
However, FDC looks at DP as a disappointment. Because DP has 16 of the councillors in Kampala City Council, Besigye accused them of conniving with the Government to sell off markets.
There is also the issue of getting more members. The pool of new members for the opposition groups remains the same. Major defections from NRM to the opposition took place over four years ago. And worryingly for the opposition, more and more of their members are defecting to NRM. And yet, a party like FDC must set up grassroots networks throughout the country. “FDC is like Mabira forest. When you see it from a distance, it looks very thick. But when you enter parts of it, you realise that there are very few trees worth talking about,†observes a DP supporter.
To fill these gaps in the absence of major defections from the ruling party, FDC has to turn against fellow opposition groups.
Such fighting amongst the opposition is not healthy on their part, but good music in the ears of NRM. One would have thought that in a bid to defeat NRM, the opposition must be united. Otherwise, NRM candidates might easily sail through all the three bye-elections. The Movement views the whole melodrama, just like a grasshopper catcher watches grasshoppers eating each other from inside his bottle.
The other feature that came out of Kalungu is Besigye’s priorities in all the bye-elections. Although Besigye spent at least three days in Kalungu, he never went to Kamuli during the April LC5 bye-elections. One would think that Besigye should have gone to Kamuli, to support his vice-president, Salaamu Musumba, in her bid to become LC5 chairperson.
Analysts are putting forward several theories. One of them is that Besigye never thought that Musumba had a chance of winning the seat. Besides, Kamuli is an NRM stronghold and so he thought that if he had presented himself there, it would have changed the whole affair into an FDC versus NRM race and yet Musumba was running the race almost on individual merit.
The other theory is that Besigye never consented to Musumba’s bid. FDC sources say that Besigye had advised Musumba to concentrate on developing the party’s capacity, in Busoga, rather than taking up administrative roles.
“The argument was that an LC5 chairperson is collectively responsible with the Government for whatever goes wrong. It was thought that Musumba would be tied down with these administrative roles, to the detriment of the party,†says an FDC source. The country should be set for more inter-party fighting, as another six bye-elections are likely.
jkato@newvision.co.ug