FDC delegates meet to discuss 2016 polls preps

By Moses Mulondo

KAMPALA - The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) delegates’ conference is convening at Mandela National Stadium in Namboole in Wakiso district.

Party leaders will discuss proposals for restructuring the party in preparation for the 2016 general elections.

The FDC party spokesperson, John Kikonyogo, told New Vision yesterday that the meeting would mainly focus on the “various constitutional amendments and restructuring measures, which have been proposed, plus evaluating ourselves on where we are and where we ought to be”.

Some of the constitutional amendments include having a provision that will see party leaders who perform poorly relieved of their duties and the creation of the council of elders as an extra organ of the party.

Others are: reducing national executive committee members from 140 to 85 and setting a condition for the party chairperson to be above 50 years of age and be out of elective politics.

There is also a proposal to have the lowest party structure at the village level, rather than the polling station FDC party headquarters at Najjanankumbi was Thursday a beehive of activity as delegates underwent accreditation.

The conference, which is expected to have more than 1,000 delegates, will have special speeches/ presentations from party leaders and status reports from the secretary general and treasurer general.

Earlier, FDC president Gen. Mugisha Muntu told New Vision: “The conference is meant to help us do amendments, which are necessary for our next phase of building party branches.”

Muntu explained that the reason for having the lowest branch of the party at village level was because it is easier to organise members at the village level than at polling stations as it has been.

“We also hope to use the conference to unite the party so that we are more cohesive,” he said.

Muntu revealed that another delegate’s conference would be convened either at the end of February or beginning of March 2015 for the election of new party leaders.

Kikonyogo said many of the FDC national leaders are not eligible for re-election since they have already served two terms.

The FDC constitution bars party officials from serving more than two terms.

The delegate’s conference will also adopt the party’s road map for the 2016 general elections, which includes the programme for conducting grass-root elections.

FDC, which is the leading opposition political party, had its parliamentary seats decline from 42 in 2006 to 34 in 2011 and its presidential candidate’s performance declined from 37% in 2006 to 26% in 2011.