Muntu's party to decide presidential flag-bearer in August

Jun 24, 2020

The Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) is set to hold its first delegates conference to pick the party’s presidential flag-bearer in the forthcoming general elections.

By Abou Kisige

The Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) is set to hold its first delegates conference to pick the party's presidential flag-bearer in the forthcoming general elections.

Dan Mugarura, the party's coordinator for election matters, said the delegates conference is slated for August 6. He was addressing journalists at the party's headquarters in Kampala, yesterday.

According to the roadmap, registration and picking of nomination forms for the party's flag-bearer will take place between June 22 and 25 t the party's headquarters in Kampala.

Verification of nomination qualification documents is set for June 26-29, while nomination for the party presidential flag-bearer is slated for July 1 to 2.

Mugarura said harmonising of the campaign programme by the party's electoral commission and candidates' agents will take place on July 3.

Meanwhile, open campaigns will start on July 6, which will culminate into a presidential debate on July 26.

Accreditation of delegates is slated for August 5, followed by the national interim delegates' conference on August 6.

It is not yet clear whether any members of the party will challenge Gen. Mugisha Muntu for the party presidency and flag-bearer. Muntu is the founding national co-ordinator of the ANT party.

In September 2018, Muntu and his supporters quit the FDC party to form ANT. His main objective was to build grassroots party structures, encourage more members to run for parliamentary seats and in local elections, as well as working in coalition with like-minded opposition forces.

Mugarura said although they are concerned with the nature of the revised national Electoral Commission roadmap for the general elections, they will take part in the forthcoming general elections.

"We are conscious of the challenging time our country is going through whilst the electoral commission has issued its revised roadmap," Mugarura said.

He said as a party, they find a number of practical and legal difficulties with the roadmap and that they have written to the EC to draw their attention to some of the issues, which include limited access to digital platforms for candidates, among others.

He said despite EC's shortcomings, the party is ready and committed to actively participate in the forthcoming elections come 2021. Sources close to ANT indicate that Muntu is set to challenge President Yoweri Museveni for the presidency in 2021.

However, the former long serving commander of the defence forces remains tight-lipped  on his next move.

The deputy spokesperson of ANT, Sulaiman Kakaire, explained that the party is still open to the idea of a joint opposition leader and are ready for discussions despite the coming party elections.

The idea of a joint opposition candidate to end the 34-year rule of the National Resistance Movement is not new to Uganda's political terrain.

Muntu viciously contested against Rtd Col. Kizza Besigye for the FDC flag-bearer in 2016, but when he lost, he threw his weight behind him (Besigye).

Muntu led FDC to the democratic Alliance, but when the forces failed to agree, he tood by Besigye's candidature for the presidential bid. He had contested against Besigye for party leadership twice, but with little success.

When Besigye resigned his position as FDC party president, Muntu emerged and after leading for one term, he was defeated by Patrick Amuriat.

Since its formation, ANT has closely been working with Kyagulanyi's People Power and Democratic Party leader Norbert Mao, but very little progress has been made to extend an olive branch to FDC.

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