As secretary for mobilisation for the opposition FDC, Ingrid Turinawe is a very visible party activist and regularly participates in political demonstrations led by Dr Kizza Besigye, the former party president.
However on Monday, she was defeated by Florence Ibi Ekwau, the former Kaberamaido Woman MP, in the race to become the party’s flag bearer for a slot in the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala).
Ekwau got 20 votes while Turinawe garnered 18 votes in a tightly-contested race that divided many members of the party’s national executive committee. Some party insiders told us that Turinawe’s loss is a reflection of the enduring rift between people loyal to Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, the party president, and those allied to Besigye. Even if both leaders deny it, the divide amongst their supporters has existed for some time.
“We have beaten Besigye,” one of Ekwau’s supporters chanted after the results had been declared.
In her concession speech, Turinawe said her main reason to seek the party’s endorsement for Eala was basically to promote the interest of FDC as an opposition party within the regional legislative body. She said a second slot should be given to FDC because it is the biggest opposition party.
“The EAC treaty is being abused. Those two slots for the opposition are supposed to be for FDC. If FDC fails to get the second slot, my mission is still the same, to bring about change in this country and fight the dictator. I still stand for the defiance campaign,” she said. If FDC gets a second slot, Turinawe will have a better chance of joining Eala. FDC will present her to the local parliament for election as its second choice.
A senior party official told The Observer yesterday that Turinawe’s major undoing was her close association with Besigye and the defiance campaign, which a number of delegates did not support.
“It was going to be difficult for her to win right from the start because many party members believe that she is a Besigye person; therefore, whoever doesn’t want Besigye obviously didn’t vote for her and they are many. Our party leaders say it publicly that this party is united. However take this from me, we have two rival factions,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Muntu’s name has already been dragged into the election. Turinawe’s supporters claim that the party president clandestinely mobilised for Ekwau. In a veiled attack on Muntu, one of them took to Facebook yesterday warning that the lack of impartiality on the side of the leadership will ruin the democratic credentials of the party.
“When Besigye was party president, he never took sides in internal party elections…today we have leaders openly engaging and calling voters to vote a particular candidate,” Turinawe’s supporter wrote.
Efforts to get a comment from Muntu were futile. However, Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda, the FDC spokesperson, dismissed talk of Muntu meddling in the elections.
“Those saying so do not understand who Muntu is and how principled he is. He cannot do such a thing,” Ssemujju said.
Other people have suggested that while Turinawe is an effective mobiliser, some delegates believed that unlike Ekwau, she lacks the requisite leadership credentials and political maturity needed at Eala.
Ekwau served as Woman MP for Kaberamaido between 2006 and 2016. During her tenure in parliament, she served as commissioner to the parliamentary commission, the highest decision-making body in the House.
Innocent Ayo, a contestant who got six votes, said that even with the election as transparent as the one they had, some forces unknown to many were instrumental in determining the result.
“There are some forces in our party. Some people are out there, they are not in the party leadership and they are not on NEC but they are manning party activities behind closed doors. We participated in this election to test the integrity of our NEC,” Ayo said.
Other contestants included Dr Joseph Tindyebwa (two votes); Wilberforce Kyambadde (four); Patrick Baguma (seven) and Gloria Paga (five votes). Augustine Ojobile and Herbert Mayemba didn’t get any votes.
ELECTIONS BOSS SPEAKS OUT
Dan Mugarura, the FDC electoral commission chairperson, dismissed as false allegations of malpractice. He said the election was the freest and fairest ever organised by the party because everyone was involved right from the start.
He said that in case any of the candidates has complaints about the results and the process, they can appeal.
“Where are the forces they are talking about? The process was open and we discussed the whole of it with the candidates. We have managed to produce a candidate in time. If any of the contestants has issues, they should refer them to the election tribunal and I can even cancel the election if the issues are correct,” Mugarura told The Observer.
Out of the nine Eala slots allocated to Uganda, the ruling NRM has six while the opposition and independents must share three slots. Parliament is expected to elect Eala representatives before the end of the month.
ekiggundu@observer.ug