Crisis meeting: TDA discusses challenges

Sep 29, 2015

Opposition coalition group The Democratic Alliance (TDA) on Tuesday met and discussed the setbacks they have been hit by in recent days.


By Norah Mukimba


KAMPALA – Opposition coalition group The Democratic Alliance (TDA) on Tuesday met and discussed the setbacks they have been hit by in recent days.

“We have been discussing the challenges we have been going through as TDA and the desire to have a combined force is still going on,” said Conservative Party (CP) leader Ken Lukyamuzi, who attended the meeting at the TDA headquarters in Naguru.

The Rubaga South MP emphasized that the involved parties are strong, and thanked the media for supporting them.

Last week, TDA hit a dead-end when they failed to reach consensus on a joint presidential candidate in a bid to challenge President Yoweri Museveni of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party in the 2016 presidential elections.

There arose friction between the camp of former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi and that of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) flagbearer Kizza Besigye over who was the better choice to lead TDA.

Besigye has challenged Museveni in three previous presidential elections (in 2001, 2006 and 2011), but failed to beat his political nemesis to the top job in all those attempts.

Tuesday’s meeting was intended for reaching consensus on the different prospective elective levels.

However, Besigye’s absence from the meeting was very conspicuous -- and a highlight of its own. Prof. Gilbert Bukenya also did not show up.

Meanwhile, Lukyamuzi said there were people in TDA who received bribes. However, Mbabazi, who attended the meeting, denied giving any bribe to anyone.

“You know Ugandans want change and when they see us the leaders failing to decide, they lose hope and whoever says I paid bribes to TDA members to be on my side is stupid,” said Mbabazi bluntly.

On his part, TDA spokesperson and Leader of Opposition in Parliament Wafula Oguttu said they would “sort out” the issues.

“The summit did not arrive at a consensus, but it will continue on Friday October 2.

“We are going on the ground because our two candidates [Mbabazi and Besigye] have been taking back their nomination papers unlike in NRM where they have been extending their elections. We have discussed the issues and we shall sort them.”
 

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