Ethnicity and tribal sentiments took centre stage as Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu launched his campaign in Lango to retain his seat as President of the Forum for Democratic Change -FDC party.
During a public rally held at Coronation Park in Lira town on Thursday, majority of FDC legislators supporting Muntu’s candidature argued that Eastern region already has enough share of the party cake and therefore it would not be proper to elect someone from the region as the party president.
Incumbent FDC President Mugisha Muntu faces three other candidates including Patrick Amuriat Oboi, the former Kumi County Member of Parliament who is seen as the main challenger in the race. Others are Kawempe South Member of Parliament Mubarak Munyagwa and youthful Moses Byamugisha.
However, Kasiano Wadri, the former Member of Parliament for Terego County in Arua district argued that as they work to re-brand FDC, there is need to ensure equitable regional representation of leadership in the party.
He said that already the two top jobs in the party, that of Secretary General and Treasurer, are being held by officials from eastern region and therefore it would be cheating the party members by electing Patrick Amuriat Oboi who comes from the same region.
Herbert Edward Ariko, the Soroti Municipality Member of Parliament said it was necessary for the FDC party to give Uganda the confidence and impression that once it comes to power it will share leadership equally to all regions.
Ariko says currently the top offices of the party are being led by people from eastern Uganda, referring to Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the Budadiri West MP in Sironko who is the Party Secretary General and Geoffrey Ekanya from Tororo who is Party Treasurer. He says this kind of leadership distribution gives wrong impression of FDC. He says it will be worse if the top-most position is taken to Eastern region again.
URN
