Inside Gen Muntu’s 9 months of consultation

Kampala. Details have emerged of what has been going on behind the scenes as the former FDC president, Gen Mugisha Muntu, traversed the country carrying out consultations on whether he remains or quits the party.
Gen Muntu, who announced during a meeting with FDC president Patrick Oboi Amuriat yesterday, had carried out his consultations between January 15 and September 9, this year. Yesterday’s meeting was held at the Fairway Hotel in Kampala.

Sources close to Gen Muntu have told Daily Monitor that the decision to quit FDC was made long before as the consultations were ongoing.
Much as Gen Muntu moved alone during consultations, behind the scenes were other FDC members preparing for the breakaway from the party.
Key among that team were two former Members of Parliament that failed to make it back during the 2016 General Election. They are former FDC secretary general Alice Alaso and former Bukonzo East MP Yokasi Bwambale Bihande.

During the consultations he held in Bunyoro, Tooro, Rwenzori, Ankole, Kigezi, Buganda, Bukedi, Bugisu, Karamoja, Lango, Acholi and West Nile regions, Gen Muntu was preaching a message of resolving internal conflicts within the FDC party.
He neither hinted on forming a new political party nor ruled it out much as some of the delegates, most of them party leaders at district level, religious leaders, opinion leaders, among others, frequently asked about his direction after the consultations.

Gen Muntu, who told his audiences that there was mistrust inside the FDC party, always hinted on making “many” decisions when he finally concludes his consultations.
“In the coming days when the dust has settled, we will have to think long and hard about what this distrust means and why it persists. At a personal level, I will have to make several decisions. I ask for your patience, prayers and understanding,” Gen Muntu said at the start of consultations in Hoima District.

In a January 10 letter, the FDC secretary general, Mr Nandala Mafabi, wrote to FDC district chairpersons and the party’s general secretaries instructing them to convene for only activities that are approved by the party headquarters.
“This is to inform you that anyone from headquarters or anywhere who intends to carry out an activity in your district in the name of the party should demonstrate that the activity was discussed and approved by the party national executive committee,” Mr Nandala wrote.

Recently, the chairpersons of FDC in the districts of western Uganda converged in Bushenyi where they asked top party leaders together with Gen Muntu to meet for a dialogue within this month and agree on how the party will be run. However, the suggested dialogue meeting has to-date not taken place.
We have established that some of the MPs from the FDC party have been supporting Gen Muntu’s consultations and other logistics behind the establishment of a new political party.

Three names, according to the source, were suggested. The source said he could not reveal those names because he was not sure which one was taken up. It is alleged that the party colour is likely to be purple.
Mr Bihande, who is the organising chairman of Gen Muntu’s interim team, confirmed to Daily Monitor by telephone yesterday that he and Ms Alaso have been working on the formation of the new party.
“Yes, I am the organising chairman and Alice Alaso has been working with me. There is a third person whom I cannot tell you now. But we are forming a new political party as you will hear from Gen Muntu soon,” he said.

Mr Bihande said under their organising committee, there are four other sub-committees each having three members.
Another source said the party constitution and other documents have been finalised, adding that what is remaining is to register it with the Electoral Commission.

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