By Henry Mukasa

The five major political parties under the framework of the Inter Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD), are set for talks that will culminate in an agreement on electoral reforms and funding of political parties ahead of the 2016 elections.

The parties represented in Parliament, during a meeting in Tanzania, agreed that harmonising positions on reforms, funding, constitutional amendments and law and order management be the agenda.

“After a detailed discussion on inter-party dialogue in Uganda and the challenges of consolidating multiparty democracy, the party representatives reached consensus on the agenda items for dialogue efforts in Uganda, in the short to medium term,” a statement issued by the IPOD secretariat  said.

“In setting this agenda, the party representatives were guided by their common objectives to foster a strong and vibrant multiparty democracy and national development in Uganda,” it added.

The political parties that were represented are Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Conservative Party (CP), Democratic Party (DP), Justice Forum (JEEMA), National Resistance Movement (NRM) and Uganda People’s Congress (UPC).

The statement signed by lands and housing minister, Daudi Migereko, who is the current chairperson of the IPOD governing council, explained that the representatives of the Ugandan political parties “jointly renewed their deep commitment to purposeful dialogue and constructive engagement as a means of resolving political conflicts and building the country’s multiparty political system”.

“They undertook to individually and collectively offer and demonstrate their support for the dialogue process as a means to the full realisation of the transition to a pluralistic and competitive multiparty political system that would enhance peace, stability and socio-economic development,” the statement said.

The representatives converged in Tanzania between November 27 to 29, under IPOD initiative funded by the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy. They paid an exchange visit to Tanzania where its member parties participated in a regional workshop.