Gerald Bareebe
2 November 2008
Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) is faced with problems of internal divisions.
The party is faced with a dilemma of deciding whether to punish its errant members and risk further divisions, or leave them to critic the party from within.
Despite a series of meetings between estranged Rubaga North Member of Parliament Beti Olive Kamya and the National Executive Committee chaired by FDC President Dr Kizza Besigye, there was no any satisfying compromise reached to settle the confusion.
At this time when the Kamya fracas is still hitting headlines in the local press, the party central disciplinary committee has taken another gamble of summoning another errant MP Alex Onzima (FDC, Maracha) to explain allegations of misconduct contrary to party code of conduct. He is expected to appear before the committee next week alongside Ms Kamya, John Kikonyogo (Rubaga North FDC Chairman) and FDC vice-chairman for eastern Ms Phoebe Otaala.
Going by how much havoc the Kamya situation has caused and with other breaches to come, it begs the question whether FDC leader Dr Kizza Besigye is able to keep a lid on things, or whether his position is unifying or dividing the party.
Mr Onzima fell out with FDC after what he perceived as the party's siding with the Opposition Chip Whip Kassiano Wadri over the location of the headquarters of the proposed district of Nyadri. Onzima prefers Maracha in his constituency while Wadri wants the headquarters located at Terego.
Apart from bad mouthing the party, the renegade FDC members have on several occasions failed to appear before various party organs set up to look into their grievances - leaving the party in a flux over what to do next and the public waiting to see whether Dr Besigye's huge election appeal translates into the fulcrum that holds the party together outside an election season.
On the failure by Mr Onzima to honour summons, FDC publicist Mr Wafula Ogutu, said, "He was first invited to appear before the stirring committee but he did not honour the invite. We called him again to the committee, he didn't appear and now his case has also been forwarded to the disciplinary committee".
Mr Onzima told Inside Politics that he is still FDC vice- chairman in charge of northern Uganda. "Of course I am still in FDC but since I haven't been served with the invitation letter, let me not discuss this matter." He said.
What could be most worrying for FDC is the impact of actual defections by disenchanted members to the NRM. Mr Onzima is the second most senior party leader from northern region and has easy access to all party organs and to all national leaders. FDC executive organs meet regularly, at least twice every month. As MP and a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC), Mr Onzima is supposed to attend these meetings.
What sparked out the furore between Mr Onzima and FDC was his remarks that he would campaign for Mr Museveni should the NRM present him for another term in 2011. This didn't go down well with FDC bigwigs. Opposition Leader in Parliament Prof. Ogenga Latigo challenged Mr Onzima to resign. "Mr Onzima has been very opportunistic and sitting on the fence weighing his options. If he no longer has faith in the FDC leadership and is man enough, why doesn't he tender in his resignation and we go to Maracha for a by-election and sort it out," Prof. Latigo told Inside Politics.
Ms Otaala, the FDC chairperson for eastern, fell out with the party after her husband Emmanuel Otaala was appointed State Minister for health. She says she can't be active in castigating the government her husband serves. But Mr Ogutu said FDC feels she is wrong. "We have people like Salaam Musumba whose husband is a minister. She must also appear before the disciplinary committee and be cleared."
As for Kamya, Mr Ogutu maintains, all the issues she raised like marginalisation of Baganda and manipulation of party constitution is baseless. "In our National Executive Committee, we are 80 members and more than 26 of whom are Baganda and we all have equal voting rights. Now where is the marginalisation? She is moving with a list of names and reads them at her rallies indicating that FDC is for Bakiga. This is cheap and divisive. Ms Kamya has been accusing Mr Museveni of being divisive and a tribalistic but she is the one being divisive, tribalistic and dangerous."
However, the Kamya fracas seems headed for a respite with Kamya telling Inside Politics that some one must admit losing to bring an end to this fracas: "Somebody must be mature enough to put a stop on this bickering. One of us must be brave enough and stop this. From today, I will not say anything until when I meet the disciplinary committee."
The current internal wrangles in FDC put Dr Besigye under the spotlight. In the last two elections, Dr Besigye garnered over 40 per cent of the national vote mainly from the north and east.
Now he must show that he can keep together the organisation that helped him get out the vote if only to show that it is FDC and not just Dr Besigye's candidature around which his constituency can unite.
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