FDC Hopeful for a Besigye Candidature
The opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party enters its final day of picking of expression of interest forms for presidential aspirants with some party members hoping that their former president, Dr Kizza Besigye joins the race to challenge President Yoweri Museveni for a fifth time.
One the first day of the two-day exercise saw the party’s national chairman Wasswa Biriggwa picking the forms and is expected to be joined in the race by party president, Patrick Amuriat Oboi.
Amuriat indicated through his social media platforms that he will pick the forms today (Wednesday).
The deputy party spokesman, John Kikonyogo said that they are still hopeful that Besigye, who is scheduled to address the FDC fraternity today, will take a step and offer his candidature once more.
On Monday, the FDC headquarters at Najjanankumbi was pasted with posters that showed that Besigye could be a candidate in the 2021 presidential elections.
This came days after The Dailly Monitor reported that Museveni’s former physician had given up his desire to be president.
Sources close to the four-times presidential candidate have said that Besigye will not stand again because he believes that elections in Uganda are a process in futility.
According to a source, some FDC bigwigs such as Amuriat, Biriggwa, mobilizing secretary, Ingrid Turinawe, former Leader of Opposition Wafula Oguttu, and Buganda region vice president, Joyce Ssebugwawo, among others, have failed to convince Besigye to consider a fifth run for the presidency.
“He has no trust in the electoral process; he believes that the results are always predetermined in favour of President Museveni. So it doesn’t matter how much FDC will beg, he will not be standing in the next election,” the source said.
A fortnight ago, Amuriat told an FDC meeting in Gulu that if Besigye accepts to hold the flag of the party in the coming elections, there will be no primaries. However the party spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda immediately contradicted him saying that no position in the FDC is ring-fenced for anyone.
Ssemujju said Amuriat was just expressing his personal opinion on the subject which did not represent the party. For the last three elections, Besigye has competed with Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu for the FDC flag.
However, after the 2017 party election in which Muntu lost the FDC presidency, he broke ranks with the party and formed his own Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).
