Uganda's leading opposition party keeping a brave face, but all is far from well
The appointment of individuals to occupy vacant positions in the Forum for Democratic Change's (FDC) National Executive Committee has caused a sharp disagreement between party president Mugisha Muntu and secretary general Nathan Nandala-Mafabi.
According to insiders in the country's leading opposition political party, the latest controversy revives tensions between the more activist 'Kizza Besigye wing' of FDC and the largely reticent Muntu camp ahead of next year's race for the FDC presidency.
Both Muntu and Mafabi have previously run for the party presidency and it is highly anticipated that they could face each other in next year's race. A similar disagreement between the two happened when it came to appointing the opposition's leadership in Parliament.
When contacted for comment yesterday, Mafabi confirmed to The Observer that there was indeed a disagreement within the party's top leadership but declined to delve into the details.
"Just know that we have not yet agreed on the list," he said. "We are going to have another meeting that will consider that. I don't want to discuss that in the media since some of those matters are internal."
On his part, Muntu said yesterday that the current disagreements are born out of the fact that he has a different view of how organisations must be run.
"There were proposals about if it is possible to adjust here or there. And I had to talk to those people they proposed, and some of them I talked to personally said they are not comfortable. However, the mandate is with the [party] president, NEC discusses and makes adjustments. I am also open to make adjustments but also defend them where necessary because at the end of the day I make assessments," he said.
SSEBUGWAWO PROTESTS
According to sources privy to the developments, the disagreements came to light on Tuesday during a party meeting held at the FDC headquarters in Najjanankumbi, when Muntu introduced to the meeting a list of 25 individuals he thought should occupy the vacant positions. The source revealed that the first opposition to the list came from the FDC vice president in charge of central Uganda, Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo.
"According to Ssebugwawo, the list was not generated from any of the party organs. She said at least as a party vice president she should have been consulted," narrated the source, who attended the meeting.
Eventually, the meeting could not press Muntu further on Ssebugwawo's concerns since the idea of the party president choosing individuals to take up vacant positions was approved by NEC.
According to the FDC constitution, it is the delegates' conference that selects members of NEC. But when contacted yesterday, the FDC vice president in charge of eastern Uganda, Alice Alaso, explained that the party's policy organs also give Muntu the power to appoint people to vacant positions.
"The rationale behind it was clear. The positions were vacant and we need to people to occupy them," Alaso said.
MAFABI INTERVENES
At the meeting, Nandala-Mafabi and some members allied to him started to vet every individual on the list, particularly those who are perceived to be Muntu's loyalists.
"This [Mafabi] group started to point out how some of these individuals are not FDC party members and how some are not senior enough to be in particular positions. For instance, they complained that why should Salim Katumba, a fresh graduate, be appointed deputy secretary for labour?" revealed the source.
One member of the pro- Mafabi group, who talked to us anonymously, said that the motive behind the opposition to Muntu's list was their fear of having pro-Muntu loyalists taking control of the party's major decision body.
"Muntu wants to balance the voices within the NEC since majority of the voices are pro-Kizza Besigye and Mafabi. So, by having more of his people join, he will be in position to influence the outcome of its proceedings. In fact, this is why when he nominated the 20 MPs required to be part of NEC, the majority of them were his loyalists," the source said.
Some sources allege that Muntu's grand scheme of controlling NEC is to defeat the defiance campaign in a bid to re-orient towards his political philosophy.
Among the pro-Muntu members that were on the list are former MPs Paul Mwiru (deputy spokesperson), Stephen Ochola (trade and industry), Ibi Florence (deputy education), Kassiano Wadri (deputy secretary for mobilisation in charge of Northern Uganda. Others are Ssewava Serubiri appointed as deputy secretary for presidency and Alex Gita (secretary for mobilisation in charge of Buganda).
On Tuesday, when the meeting failed to agree on the suitability of the listed members to occupy the vacant positions, they adjourned to the following day.
MORE CONFUSION
On Wednesday at 10 am, when the committee re- convened to consider the matter, there was more confusion as Mafabi's group proposed new names and positions to the list.
Kassiano's name was withdrawn in favour of Obongi MP Hassan Kaps Fungaroo as deputy secretary for mobilisation in charge of northern Uganda; Bwanika Bbale, the former district chairperson for Luweero, was proposed as deputy secretary for mobilisation in charge of Buganda instead of Alex Gita; and Kevina Taaka was proposed as deputy secretary for mobilisation in charge of eastern Uganda instead of Soroti municipality MP Herbert Edmond Ariko.
The Mafabi group also proposed the creation of the position of deputy secretary for mobilisation in charge of Kampala Metropolitan, a position for which they nominated Kawempe South MP Mubarak Munyagwa.
However, the Muntu group opposed the inclusion of the new nominees, saying they did not want their original list to be disregarded. In an interview with The Observer yesterday, Muntu said he has no problem listening to counter proposals that are firm.
"The only problem comes in when you find some people counter for reasons that are not expressed, however, in management you have to be in position to deal with such," he said.
On whether he is doing it for selfish reasons, he said; "when you also try to advance a program it is also important to look at people – that this program will be fully supported by that person. I have ever been a senior person in the party...when a list like this was worked on, I don't remember that at any one time I was consulted. But I never even on one day contested because that was the mandate of the president."
After one hour of deliberation on Wednesday, the two camps still failed to agree. They have now sought for a legal interpretation on whether individuals that are not delegates can be appointed as NEC members. Sources said the meeting will re-convene to deal with the same matter.
skakaire@observer.ug
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