The fate of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) extraordinary Delegates Conference which is scheduled for September 19, 2023, is set to be determined in the courts of law on Monday, September 18, 2023.
This was confirmed by Ambassador Wasswa Birigwa, the FDC National Chairman, while appearing on NBS television for a topical discussion program on Monday morning.
“The fate of the Delegates Conference will be decided today in court. As per what we have done so far, we haven’t lost a lot financially but rather the time we have invested,” Birigwa said.
He appealed to court to do its best to see that justice is observed in the determination of the occurrence of the conference which is aimed at solving the bickering in the party.
“Let the court do what it does best and we see what we have to do. It will be very unfortunate if they don’t allow the Delegates Conference but if they do, so be it,” he said.
This comes after the Civil Division Judge, Esta Nambayo on Friday, September 15, 2023, issued the interim order blocking the conference, following the move by three FDC members including Arafat Ntale Mwanja, Jamal Wante, and Marlick Ssazi who sued their party and its President, Patrick Oboi Amuriat plus the Secretary General, Nathan Nandala Mafabi in the High Court seeking to block the extraordinary delegates meeting communicated in an August 15, 2023, notice that was issued by the party Chairman, Birigwa.
The trio argued that, the responsible offices have been excluded from the preparations and organization of the conference adding that, the way it was hurried to be fixed is in bad faith and may embarrass the party, something that will cause permanent damage to the party.
According to Birigwa, there is another hand in all the issues that are erupting in the party, and he wondered why they are panicking over his calling of the conference as he is mandated by the party constitution.
“I don’t know why they are panicking. I don’t know why there’s a problem with me calling the conference yet I have the mandate to. There’s another hand in all these issues in the party. Look at what happened in UPC and DP, the same script,” he said.
Recently, AIGP John Nuwagira, the Police Director of Operations revealed that, the police are not ready to provide security for Birigwa’s conference noting that, it’s not known by the top party leaders. He advised them to first reconcile.
The FDC party is currently divided into two factions with one faction led by Amauriat and Nandala while the other group is led by the former party President, Dr. Kizza Besigye, Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, and Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.
Political analysts have argued that, the Party’s problems are far from over and can only be solved by a third party.
