FDC bows out of IPOD

PIC: FDC spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju says IPOD should restructure its agenda

KAMPALA - The opposition's Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has conditionally opted out of the Inter-party Organization for Dialogue (IPOD).

Party spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda told their weekly press conference on Monday that they will not take part in IPOD activities until a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that brings them together is renewed.

"We want to sign a new MoU to among others define the membership of the IPOD and restructure our agenda in strengthening democracy in the country," he said.

We are currently operating under an MoU that was signed by six political parties but CP [Conservative Party] and JEEMA lost their membership after the 2016 elections so until this is rectified, the secretariat should meanwhile exclude us from IPOD indulgences."

IPOD is an umbrella body that brings together political parties in Uganda with representation in parliament. As some of the founding members, CP and JEEMA lost their membership after losing seats in the 10th parliament.

Currently IPOD is composed of the Democratic Party (DP), FDC, Uganda People's Congress (UPC) and the National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Ssemujju also said that IPOD should restructure its agenda to ensure that some of the challenges like a nonfunctional summit are resolved to enhance democracy.

Currently under the chairmanship of FDC secretary general Nathan Nandala Mafabi, IPOD is made of the summit as its top organ composed of chairpersons and presidents of political parties, the secretary general's council which brings together party secretary generals and the secretariat as a permanent administrative structure.

Since its inception in 2008, the summit of the IPOD has never convened, reportedly due to the busy schedule of the chairman of the ruling NRM, Yoweri Museveni.