Opposition Forum for Democratic change (FDC) president Gen Mugisha Muntu is seeking a re-election today (Friday) as the delegates convene at Namboole Stadium to make a choice.
The race has four candidates but with Mugisha Muntu facing a stiff challenge from Patrick Amuriat who is backed by the party heavyweight Col Kizza Besigye.
Muntu who spoke third to make a final call asking delegates to re-elect him, directed his salvo to Besigye asking him to accept defeat should his candidate lose the election.
“I am glad Dr Kizza Besigye you are sitting here, I am really glad. 2009 we competed together; you won, I went behind you without any question. 2010, I stood on this platform and campaigned, we were competing for flag bearer, you won; I didn’t question. I went behind you.
“2015, by then incidentally I was already party president; we competed for flag bearer, you people gave the flag to Dr Kizza Besigye. I saw your hearts. You were fearful because you didn’t know what was going to happen. I stood on this platform and told you I am a democrat. I accepted your choices. I said I will steer the party with Dr Kizza Besigye. Did I do that or did I not?” he queried as Besigye frowned his face.
“Don’t put feelings in in politics; how many leaders in our political environment are able to do something like that?”
Muntu went on, before turning to his opponent Amuriat and his supporters who he accused of failure to conceded defeat. onference
He reminded them that within two weeks of winning the party presidency in 2012, he received a petition from Nandala Mafabi and Rubaramira Ruranga saying that the election had been rigged.
“We spent one and half years trying to resolve that. I was in charge. I could have dismissed that but I didn’t. I believe I fairness. We put a team to resolve that. But before we could finish that, another group came (challenging the length of the presidency). Again we resolved that. Since 2012 there has been instability because of people that don’t accept loss. Unfortunate Patrick, the people who don’t accept loss are behind you.”
Candidate Amuriat in his campaign earlier had promised to resolve the internal misunderstandings in the party, but to this Muntu, made his doubts known.
“Patrick, before you talk about managing these internal conflicts know the source of those conflicts,” he said.
Muntu and Besigye subscribe to different political approaches- Grass Root Mobilization against Activism.