FDC presidential flagbearer: Amuriat picks forms, Besigye does not
Aug 19, 2020
Who will be the party's presidential flagbearer? It will be a contest between party chairman Amb. Wasswa Biriggwa and party president Patrick Oboi Amuriat.
ELECTION WATCH
The picking of nomination forms for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential flagbearer status entered its second day with heightened security at the opposition party's headquarters in Najjanankumbi.
Wednesday was also the last day of the exercise.
Party president Patrick Amuriat Oboi showed up at the offices, welcomed by jubilant supporters, and collected forms in his bid to become the party's flagbearer in next year's presidential elections.
Amid an air of anticipation, the posters bearing the image of former presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye - President Yoweri Museveni's closest challenger in past elections - provided the hint that the FDC stalwart could also throw his hat in the ring.
Besigye arrived at Najjanankumbi on Tuesday amid an air of excitement and was welcomed by an elated group of his supporters. Once at the premises, he was pictured flanked by Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.
His supporters held up placards asking him to contest again. But that appeared not to be part of his plan.
"I know you would want me to contest in the 2021 elections but I want to remind you that being out of the race doesn't mean I am out of the liberation struggle," Besigye told the FDC youths who had earlier demonstrated against his failure to pick nomination papers for presidential flagbearer.
New Vision's Stuart Yiga reported Besigye as saying that this is the time to give other capable people a chance to prove their potential in the form of transforming Uganda through democratic elections.
On Tuesday, the party's national chairperson, Ambassador Wasswa Biriggwa, became the first party member to collect nomination forms for the presidential flagbearer position for the 2021 elections.
After picking the forms, Biriggwa said he had come to fix the "broken bones of Uganda".
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Earlier Wednesday morning, there was heavy police deployment around the FDC headquarters in Najjanankumbi, just off the Kampala-Entebbe Road.
Such was the mood just outside the party's head office.
New Vision's Stuart Yiga, who is at the location, reported that the ramped up Police deployment was meant to block the supporters from crowding along Entebbe Road - the party's office is located a few feet from the busy main road.
Buoyant supporters of Besigye held up posters bearing his image while chanting songs. Supporters of current party leader Amuriat were also in a similar mood as they, too, expressed support for their man.
FDC had announced the postponement of the nomination of their presidential candidates, citing lack of clear guidelines from the National Electoral Commission.