Muntu candidature: FDC playing in Museveni’s hands
Feb 08, 2009
MAJ. Gen. Mugisha Muntu’s expression of interest in the position of his FDC’s party president did not come as a surprise for those who keep their ears to the ground. Mugish Muntu, the former Army Commander is currently the opposition FDC’s secretary
By Asuman Bisiika
MAJ. Gen. Mugisha Muntu’s expression of interest in the position of his FDC’s party president did not come as a surprise for those who keep their ears to the ground. Mugish Muntu, the former Army Commander is currently the opposition FDC’s secretary for mobilisation.
Since the resignation of Beti Kamya (Member of Parliament for Lubaga North) from her position as envoy in the party’s president’s office late last year, FDC has experienced disruptive dynamics eating at the party’s cohesion.
This state of affairs led some to toe with the idea that the party needs new leadership and new issues to rally around. By the end of last year, those who thought change of leadership would mitigate the problems had coalesced around Mugisha Muntu.
Not surprisingly, government agencies seem to have been aware of Mugisha Muntu’s interest in the post of FDC’s party president. That is why President Yoweri Museveni, playing his characteristic mind games, recently chided him for failure to put up with the heat in the NRM kitchen.
FDC weakness
To start with, FDC has lost the cohesion that helped it rally the popular discontent over a wasteful Museveni government. As things stand now, the singularity with which Dr. Kizza Besigye headed the party leadership has now shown cracks.
The scenario where Dr. Kizza Besigye was practically beseeched to (leave his exile life) lead the party in the 2006 presidential elections is no longer obtaining.
This has, of course, bred a situation where ambitious political careers come first before the party’s strategic interests. However, of all the FDC party stalwarts who have expressed interest in the party’s top job, Mugisha Muntu’s candidature is the most credible. But what does Mugisha Muntu’s interest in the party presidency mean for the party in the 2011 presidential elections?
My very personal assessment is that FDC is currently weak (the disruptive bickering is testimony) to hold a delegates’ conference now; unless the objective of such a meet is a consensual demand to change leadership.
But since the current top leadership of the party is still interested in their positions, one would not rule out more disruptive dynamics despite Mugisha Muntu’s characteristic confidence that all will be well whoever wins the race. And in such circumstances, the party would fair badly in the 2011 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Brand Besigye
At a strategic level, the party would do better retaining Dr. Kizza Besigye until the end of the 2011 election. Immediately after the 2011 elections, the party would then hold a delegates conference and change leadership amicably.
Replacing Dr. Kizza Besigye at this time will be playing in President Museveni’s hands.
As a presidential candidate, Muntu may not match Museveni’s mind games. Museveni is likely to sue Muntu’s candidature with remarks like ‘that boy’.
And knowing NRM’s campaign tricks, Muntu’s private life and family background are likely to form the attack axis to discredit his candidature.
Perhaps the biggest achievement for the NRM strategists is to make Dr. Besigye look like he has been FDC leader for more than is needed. This thinking has trickled down to FDC members and it is annoyingly one of the reasons some party members want to replace him (Besigye).
Besigye is now a brand. His name and face are known countrywide and whoever FDC will sponsor as party candidate in the 2011 will need Besigye in his entourage almost all the time.
Besigye is still a pound-for-pound match for Museveni. It is Besigye’s articulate and uncompromising presence that forced Museveni to make hurried policy shifts. He is good on rhetoric oratory and sophistication.
I do not want to appear like I am campaigning for Besigye, but any one who has been close to Museveni’s campaigns knows that he will have a sigh of relief to hear that he is going to have Muntu as his main challenger.
Mugisha Muntu should take over leadership immediately after 2011 election, but Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye is the man for 2011; … only if FDC delegates could take my advice.
Yet, if Muntu and the party rallies back, it will be the biggest political coup Ugandans have been yearning for since 1962. Actually Muntu’s line of ‘offering two good options’ is tempting.
The writer is a journalist
MAJ. Gen. Mugisha Muntu’s expression of interest in the position of his FDC’s party president did not come as a surprise for those who keep their ears to the ground. Mugish Muntu, the former Army Commander is currently the opposition FDC’s secretary for mobilisation.
Since the resignation of Beti Kamya (Member of Parliament for Lubaga North) from her position as envoy in the party’s president’s office late last year, FDC has experienced disruptive dynamics eating at the party’s cohesion.
This state of affairs led some to toe with the idea that the party needs new leadership and new issues to rally around. By the end of last year, those who thought change of leadership would mitigate the problems had coalesced around Mugisha Muntu.
Not surprisingly, government agencies seem to have been aware of Mugisha Muntu’s interest in the post of FDC’s party president. That is why President Yoweri Museveni, playing his characteristic mind games, recently chided him for failure to put up with the heat in the NRM kitchen.
FDC weakness
To start with, FDC has lost the cohesion that helped it rally the popular discontent over a wasteful Museveni government. As things stand now, the singularity with which Dr. Kizza Besigye headed the party leadership has now shown cracks.
The scenario where Dr. Kizza Besigye was practically beseeched to (leave his exile life) lead the party in the 2006 presidential elections is no longer obtaining.
This has, of course, bred a situation where ambitious political careers come first before the party’s strategic interests. However, of all the FDC party stalwarts who have expressed interest in the party’s top job, Mugisha Muntu’s candidature is the most credible. But what does Mugisha Muntu’s interest in the party presidency mean for the party in the 2011 presidential elections?
My very personal assessment is that FDC is currently weak (the disruptive bickering is testimony) to hold a delegates’ conference now; unless the objective of such a meet is a consensual demand to change leadership.
But since the current top leadership of the party is still interested in their positions, one would not rule out more disruptive dynamics despite Mugisha Muntu’s characteristic confidence that all will be well whoever wins the race. And in such circumstances, the party would fair badly in the 2011 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Brand Besigye
At a strategic level, the party would do better retaining Dr. Kizza Besigye until the end of the 2011 election. Immediately after the 2011 elections, the party would then hold a delegates conference and change leadership amicably.
Replacing Dr. Kizza Besigye at this time will be playing in President Museveni’s hands.
As a presidential candidate, Muntu may not match Museveni’s mind games. Museveni is likely to sue Muntu’s candidature with remarks like ‘that boy’.
And knowing NRM’s campaign tricks, Muntu’s private life and family background are likely to form the attack axis to discredit his candidature.
Perhaps the biggest achievement for the NRM strategists is to make Dr. Besigye look like he has been FDC leader for more than is needed. This thinking has trickled down to FDC members and it is annoyingly one of the reasons some party members want to replace him (Besigye).
Besigye is now a brand. His name and face are known countrywide and whoever FDC will sponsor as party candidate in the 2011 will need Besigye in his entourage almost all the time.
Besigye is still a pound-for-pound match for Museveni. It is Besigye’s articulate and uncompromising presence that forced Museveni to make hurried policy shifts. He is good on rhetoric oratory and sophistication.
I do not want to appear like I am campaigning for Besigye, but any one who has been close to Museveni’s campaigns knows that he will have a sigh of relief to hear that he is going to have Muntu as his main challenger.
Mugisha Muntu should take over leadership immediately after 2011 election, but Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye is the man for 2011; … only if FDC delegates could take my advice.
Yet, if Muntu and the party rallies back, it will be the biggest political coup Ugandans have been yearning for since 1962. Actually Muntu’s line of ‘offering two good options’ is tempting.
The writer is a journalist