FDC to start primaries for presidential flag bearer

BY DAMALI MUKHAYE

KAMPALA- The Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) yesterday revealed that they will start their internal primaries to elect the party’s presidential flag bearer for the 2021 General Election on Monday next week.

The party president, Mr Patrick Amuriat, and the national chairman, Mr Waswa Biriggwa, were last week nominated by the party electoral commission to compete for this position.

The candidate with the highest votes from the 1,200 delegates who are eligible to elect will carry the party flag in the 2021 presidential elections.

While addressing journalists at party headquarters in Najjanankumbi yesterday, the party spokesperson, Mr Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, said the candidates will commence their campaigns during the sub-regional meetings starting with Buganda region.

“The two candidates will each be given an opportunity to address the delegates at the sub-regional meetings. They will be required to address issues and not insult each other,” Mr Ssemujju said.

Mr Ssemujju added that the party management will sit on Wednesday to among others agree on the format of the campaign.
“The decision to be taken is whether the candidates should jointly address the delegates or each should separately address them. Aspiring candidates are also allowed to hold separate meetings and any other form of interaction with the delegates either using phones or social media,” Mr Ssemujju said.

He added that campaigns will be followed by a delegates conference at the beginning of October and modalities are still being worked out as to which format the delegates’ conference will take due to the selective application of measures to combat Covid-19 pandemic.

The FDC electoral commission (EC) had earlier proposed that delegates convene at sub- regional level for purposes of electing the flag bearer which the National Executive Committee (NEC) will discuss.
However, Mr Ssemujju said this type of arrangement would cause turmoil among the delegates hence NEC will decide on which method to take.

Procedure
The sub-regional delegates meetings are slated to start with East Buganda (Mukono, Buikwe, Buvuma and Kayunga) before proceeding to West Buganda (Kassanda, Mubende, Mityana, Kyamkwanzi and Kiboga) on September 8.

The team will then head to South Buganda (Lwengo, Kalangala, Bukomansimbi, Masaka, Sembabule, Lyanonde and Kalungu), Northern (Luwero, Nakaseke and Nakasongola) and central Buganda (Gomba, Mpigi and Butambala).
The candidates will after the Buganda region address delegates in Kampala and Wakiso before heading to Eastern Uganda and the rest of the country.