Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party is today resuming its engagement with leaders at the grassroots, a nationwide exercise that was halted two weeks ago.
The party called off the workshops to conduct prayers for victims of the army’s November 26-27 raid on the Rwenzururu king Charles Wesley Mumbere’s palace. The attack, and other related skirmishes, led to the death of more than 100 people.
Party spokesman Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda confirmed to The Observer that they will be covering the Acholi sub-region, West Nile and Karamoja sub-region starting this week.
“The party working committee reviewed the programme and we shall be resuming on Monday with the Acholi sub-region,” said Ssemujju, who is also Kira municipality MP.
FDC deputy secretary general Harold Kaija told The Observer that the first phase of the workshops, which saw them cover Ankole, Masaka and Busoga sub-regions, was successful. He said the party leadership was well received by both FDC local leaders and residents.
“In almost all the workshops, 100 per cent of the technical assistants have attended,” Kaija said. “When you look at their participation and the feedback they were giving us, it is really positive.”
He added: “We are actually getting more information than what we anticipated for. When you go to the rallies, people were very receptive, large numbers chanting so far so good.”
Kaija, however, admitted that their activities may be pegged back by resource constraints, lending credence to earlier information from The Observer’s sources that the party’s financial war chest was under strain.
The workshops, which are being undertaken under the theme, ‘Strengthening FDC to consolidate our party achievement and enhance party cohesion,’ are aimed at morale-boosting the party leadership at the grassroots after a disappointing election whose results the party has since rejected.
Most of the top FDC leaders, including party president Mugisha Muntu, founding party president and former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye, party chairman Wasswa Biriggwa, and mobilisation secretary Ingrid Turinawe have attended the workshops and delivered speeches.
Kaija explained that at every end of the workshop, the participants come up with resolutions, which will form part of the three-year action plan that the party is drafting.
“This is no longer top-to-bottom decision-making. It is circular; these leaders are included when we discuss and agree on different issues. It’s no longer, ‘the headquarters has said’,” he explained.
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