Inside FDC Flag bearer Race
*Majority of party top shots rallying behind Muntu
*Besigye to win overwhelmingly
*Election splits FDC couples
*Mafabi, Alaso big influencers in the race
*Who supports who
As FDC flag bearer 2016- 2021 race heats up with only a month left to polling day, the candidates- party president Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu and his predecessor Col Kizza Besigye are canvassing support across the country.
The duo is meeting delegates (voters) through consultative meetings and staging mega rallies in awake to sell their strategies.
Known for espousing different ideologies- Muntu believes so much in building strong and formidable grass root structures while his opponent Besigye is a man of action (activism) and that explains why all the rallies Muntu has so far held including walking a one mile in a procession in Eastern Uganda, he has not faced any security resistance as Besigye’s fans are engaged in running battles with police firing bullets and teargas to disperse them nearly at all his rallies.
In fact, while in Kabale, Muntu assured the nation that his rival’s mechanism isn’t worth capturing state power, but rather his.
However what has shocked the party members and particularly those loyal to Muntu is the fact that Besigye has not uttered a single word maligning the person of Muntu like it was during the 2012 party presidential race in which new secretary general Hon Nandala Mafabi lost.
The party has commended the two political heavyweights- Besigye and Muntu for displaying seniority and maturity in the ongoing campaigns as no complaint has so been raised against either camp.
In this report we bring you an insight into what is happening in the race, which party senior officials support which candidate and how some families have been split on who to rally behind.
TOP NEC CABINET IS PRO MUNTU
Sources in FDC dissected the newly elected National Executive Committee and the findings indicate that among the four deputy presidents three support Muntu and these include; Patrick Baguma (Western Uganda), Reagan Okumu (Northen Uganda) who is currently the acting party president and Alice Alaso who represents Eastern Region.
The national council Chairman Waswa Birigwa though he is new entrant in the party, sources revealed to us that he is team Muntu.
“This is at the time he joined the party he found Muntu as party president and in all the negotiations Muntu was involved,” a source said.
Two of his deputies representing East and Central regions are all pro Muntu.
Western Uganda vice chairman Rowland Kaginda and Okello Okello (North) however crossed to Besigye camp.
The secretary for security Maj John Kazoora and his deputy Salim Angoliga are all Muntu’s men.
Secretary General Nandala Mafabi and his two deputies are pro Besigye. “However Mafabi has kept silent but he funds Besigye covertly. His silence was triggered by NECs decision that all members holding elective office slots should step aside should they engage in partisan politics,” a source said.
That’s why Ingrid Turinawe (mobilization chief), Hon Geoffrey Ekanya who heads treasury and Harold Kaija (deputy secretary general administration) all attached to Besigye’s camp temporarily resigned their slots.
A source said that shockingly the election has split couples as the wife and husband support different candidates.
A quick example was Kasese Woman Winnie Kizza who is the party Women league head and a loyalist to Besigye while her husband Yokasi Bihande whole heartedly fans Muntu.
BESIGYE TO WIN WITH A LANDSLIDE
An insider told us that however much Besigye is supported by minority NEC cabinet members he is likely to garner majority votes.
A source predicted that the recently concluded delegates’ conference results will play a big impact on the coming election.
In fact a source added that the votes garnered by Nandala Mafabi and his opponent Kasiano Wadri are same results Muntu and Besigye are likely to get respectively.
“This is so because delegates loyal to Mafabi will all rally behind Besigye and those who voted Wadri will weigh in on Muntu courtesy of Alaso clout,” a source said.
It must be remembered that Mafabi got 82% of voters while Wadri generated 18%.
Mafabi and Alaso both have a big role to play as king makers and their relationship with grass root supporters.
“It’s the secretary general that knows the true physical appearance of voters,” a source said.
Alaso was a secretary general succeeded by Mafabi and they belong to different camps.
PROTEST VOTE
Reports indicate that the party top cream denounced the idea of Besigye contesting against Muntu citing sabotage.
That’s why some MPs like shadow attorney general Abdu Katuntu adopted a tale of likening him to a poor football team which fails to take trophies three times and therefore needs to be dissolved.
A source added that senior members like former western region deputy president Amanya Mushega, Maj John Kazoora raised concerns and have since approached some voters asking them to vote only Muntu.
“To the contrary Besigye is still loved by the people and by decampaigning him, they are committing big mistake as some delegates have vowed to vote only Besigye,” a source said.
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