Friday, March 29News That Matters

FDC Party Closes Nomination Window For 6 MPs Over Party Wrangles

By Elite News Reporter

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) office in Kasese District has closed the nomination window for three Members of Parliament (MPs).

The three MPs include Winnie Kiiza, Robert Centenary and Jackson Katika.

The three, according to Saul Maate the Party District Chairperson, have failed to sort out their issues with the party office.

For Robert Centenary and Winnie Kiiza, Maate says “The two have allegiance issues with the Party and that they only picked forms of interest to participate in the party primaries but haven’t returned them to the party office.”

Maate also said his office has been instructed by the party head office in Najanankumbi not to nominate Mbaju Jackson Katika even if he had already picked forms of interest from Maate’s office.

He told the press that his office had done all it could to have the three nominated but time is no longer on their side.

Maate revealed that he is optimistic the party has registered strong aspirants at all levels ready to sweep all the electoral positions in the 2021 general elections after going through the party primaries.

The three embattled MPs are still mute about their next course of action.

However, there are reports that MP Centenary is considering contesting as an independent candidate whereas Winnie Kiiza is said to be looking at the Alliance for National Transformation flag and people power support.

Meanwhile, in the same vein, the

FDC has barred three members of Parliament (MPs) from Teso region from taking part in the ongoing nomination exercise until they resolve “pending issues” with the party.

They Elijah Okupa (Kasilo), Angelline Osege (Soroti District) and Edmund Herbert Ariko (Soroti Municipality). 

Their troubles with the party can be traced to 2017 when they supported the then FDC president Maj Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntu, who was campaigning to retain the seat against Patrick Oboi Amuriat, who won the party presidency.

Gen Muntu later broke away from FDC to form the Alliance for National Transformation.

But since then, the said MPs are reported to have abandoned the party and all its activities.

Sam Olupot, the FDC District Registrar in Serere District, said that they could not nominate Okupa as the FDC flag bearer for the Kasilo County Parliamentary race before getting clearance from the party leadership.

He said that the MP has not been paying his monthly contribution to the party, a situation that requires clearance before his nomination.

In Soroti District, Jane Acen, the party chairperson said they were given strict guidelines by the FDC top organ not to nominate the members until they are cleared.

She, however, said that that only Osege expressed interest in picking nomination forms while Ariko was not bothered.

Osege said that she will contest for the parliamentary seat with or without FDC’s endorsement. She said that since the government is funding party activities, there was no need for individual MPs to continue remitting funds to the party without clear objectives.

Ariko said he is yet to pick forms from FDC offices.

He, however, said that he still belongs to the party.

He downplayed concerns of not remitting monthly contribution saying that he has been solely paying rent for party offices in Soroti until 2018.

So far, the party has nominated Moses Attan Okia, who lost to Ariko in 2016  for the Soroti Municipality Parliamentary seat,  Anne Adeke Ebaju, the Female Youth MP was nominated for the Soroti Woman MP seat, while James Emaju has been nominated to contest in Kasilo county.

However, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the FDC spokesman said: “Those forms are for everybody, whoever wants to pick can pick and return if you are FDC member. You are bringing such things to me for the first time but I will find out since I am seeing some of the members here.”

He, however, hastened to add that the party could not tolerate some members who are double-minded.

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