Gen Muntu supporters warn him against forming own political party

A section of leaders in Bukedi region have warned the former president of the Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Gen Mugisha Muntu against forming a political party, saying such a decision will further weaken the opposition.

This was during a public consultative meeting held at Meritoria hotel in Tororo District on Wednesday.
The leaders said it would be a political suicide if Gen Muntu opted to form his own political party.

“We ask Gen Muntu not to risk forming a new political party because such a decision will not serve the interests of the opposition but the [ruling] National Resistance Movement party (NRM). We urge you to instead join hands with other leaders in FDC and concentrate on building the party,” Mr Abdul Karim Melees, an FDC delegate from Budaka District said.

Mr Melees said the few people pushing Gen Muntu to form own party have wrong intentions, which are aimed at keeping president Museveni in power.

“Do not be hoodwinked by the few opportunists who are serving interests of someone fighting us. As supporters of FDC and opposition, we value and appreciate your contribution which is more needed now to build a vibrant party,” he said.

Mr Faruk Mukasa, another delegate from Busia District asked Gen Muntu to fight within the party.

“We also don’t support defiance campaigns because it has failed to work but we have not quit the party,” he said, adding that Gen Muntu should work with elected FDC president, Patrick Amuriat.

Gen Muntu lost the presidency to Mr Amuriat in the November 2017 polls and since then, there have been speculations that he is on the verge to quit FDC.

Addressing the delegates, however, Gen Muntu said he will only opt to form a new political party on the will of Ugandans.

"I have heard people speculating that Gen Muntu wants to form a new political party yet that is not in my mind now," he said.

He said after his country wide consultations, he will share his findings with the party secretariat.

“I will speak my mind after sharing my findings with the party secretariat and if those in top leadership do not pay respect to those findings, I will see what to do next,” he said.

Gen Muntu explained that there is an urgent need to reposition and rebrand FDC as an opposition party.

"We need to reposition ourselves and to rebrand FDC from its current status where infighting is the order of the day," he said.

He said some FDC party members posing as diehards cannot push the party to take over power.

The meeting was attended by leaders from Opposition parties and the NRM.