By Olivia Nabaggala
Hon. Eng. Patrick Oboi Amuriat (POA) has been re-elected as the Forum for Democratic Change FDC president for the last term.
In his victory speech Amuriat cautioned all those questioning their legitimacy to stop it since the elections they held on Friday through their National Delegates conference seating at patidah Samaj sports grounds Lugogo I. Nakawa division sealed off such questions.
On Friday the chairperson of the forum for democratic change Electoral Commission Boniface Toterebuka Bamwenda declared Amuriat as the legitimate party president after flooring his competitor Moses Byamugisha with 800 votes against 187 votes thus his immediate swear in as per the party constitution.
In his speech Amuriat thanked his voters for valuing and recognizing his leadership before pledging to unite party members across the country starting with Northern region next week where dialogue will held.
Amuriat’s remarks followed a conceding speech by Akello Judith Frank who was competing for the position of the treasurer general but was defeated by the incumbent Geoffrey Ekanya with 626 votes against 355 votes.
In her conceding speech Akello noted that she has heard propaganda from various members that she belongs to katonga faction led by the former vice president Buganda region Erias Lukwago which she refuted saying that they don’t belong to any faction but only FDC.
Amuriat noted that FDC is one and any formation bearing FDC name tantamount to misrepresentation, blackmail and forgery which they will not tolerate. He said he will invoke article 28 of the party constitution to cause disciplinary action against the errant Katonga member.
Other members that have been elected include organizing secretary where the former member of parliament for makindye East Ibrahim kasozi was defeated by Joseph Ajuna Daka from western region with 623 votes againts 354 votes. Gloria Paga was declared as the Deputy Secretary General for Administration beating Walid Mulindwa Lubega and James Oto Ape with 357 votes against 356 votes and 284 votes respectively among others.
However shortly after the FDC Chief electoral commissioner Bamwenda declared the defeat of kasozi, one of his supporters identified as Meddy who wasn’t happy with the results caused chaos leading to fighting at the venue hence police’s intervention to normalize the situation.
After the situation normalized, Bamwenda called kasozi to give his conceding speech. He attributed his defeat to failure to traverse the whole country requesting for votes yet his competitor did. He called upon youths to embrace discipline since it’s the only way they can acquire positions of leadership.
The secretary general of the Democratic party Gerald Siranda who witnessed the FDC elections said that this should be a clear signal to leaders that individual misunderstandings does not translate into members hating their party hence calling upon all those fighting from outside the party to go back and fight from within.
He urged the newly elected leaders in FDC to pursue the line of dialogue since it’s the only way they can bring about unite in the party.
The FDC secretary general Nandala Mafabi revealed that they sent out invitations to all the opposition politica parties to attend and witness as they have always done, but it is only JEEMA and DP who sent representatives.
