There is panic in Najjanankumbi and at Parliament. FDC’s loss of the Bugiri Municipality seat to JEEMA is the cause
Party President, Patrick Amuriat and Secretary General, Nandala Mafabi on Monday convened the party’s Working Committee meeting ahead of a cabinet reshuffle expected later this week.
The Working Committee; composed of the Party President, Secretary General, Treasurer, Secretaries for Mobilization, Security, Youth and Women Affairs, is the top structure that feeds the National Executive Committee with planned activities and policies supposed to be implemented for approval.
According to sources in the party, the meeting was meant to decide on the change of opposition leadership at Parliament.
FDC NEC Meets
NEC is expected to sit on Wednesday to decide on President Amuriat’s choice for Leader of Opposition, Opposition Whip, Commissioner of Parliament and Chairpersons of all the 4 accountability committees that are in the hands of the opposition.
When contacted on phone, the FDC Spokesman, Ssemujju Nganda who is also the Chief Opposition Whip, confirmed the Monday meeting of the Working Committee but denied knowledge of the reshuffle arrangement.
“It is true Working Committee met today but to discuss the election reports. There was no discussion about reshuffle,” he said.
When asked about the scheduled Wednesday meeting meant to decide on the opposition leadership at Parliament, Ssemujju remained cagey.
The Reshuffle
Sources inside FDC said efforts have Winnie Kiiza give her side of the story were futile which was overseen as a distancing from the party’s direction plan.
“Winnie has decided to distance herself from the Najjanakumbi leadership. There is no option but to make her irrelevant with the choice of another leader for parliament,” said the source.
Winnie Kiiza is currently in the US attending a parliamentary conference and could not be reached for comments.
Other Elections Strategy
With the loss of Bugiri where a divided FDC was stung by a minnow JEEMA, FDC now feels like they need to get their act straight to capture the remaining seats, the better one being the Arua Municipality seat where Kasiano Wadri as former FDC parliament strong-hold is contesting.
There is fear in Najjanakumbi that Winnie Kiiza and other senior members still following former President Mugisha Muntu, are going to throw their weight behind Kasiano Wadri in the coming Arua Municipality parliamentary by-election against the party official candidate, Bruce Musema.
Senior officials at Najjanakumbi believe the precedent of maintaining the flag bearer was made during Muntu’s leadership when the party backed Apollo Katinti for Kyandondo East by election without organizing another primary election.
“They set the precedence in Kyadondo East. The same happened in Jinja East (Paul Mwiru), Rukungiri (Betty Bamukwatsa Munazira) and elsewhere but now they want to support Wadri in Arua against our official candidate,” another source said.
Leader of Opposition slot
This website understands there were three candidates for the position including Gulu woman MP Betty Aol Ochan, Obongi county MP Fungaru Hassan Kaps and Busongora North’s William Nzoghu.
Nzoghu, whose constituency is in Kasese district, excused himself fearing that replacing Kiiza would backfire against him politically.
“Nzoghu sensed danger and personally asked the party not to consider him as LOP,” a source said.
FDC however feel indebted to the people of Kasese and to maintain the support, Nzoghu is expected to be named new Commissioner of Parliament to replace Dokolo’s Cecilia Atim Ogwal.
“Cecilia is a good leader and a better one to give advice to young crop of leaders. She is comfortably returning to the back bench,” the source added.
Meanwhile Ssemujju Nganda is likely to be maintained as the Chief Opposition Whip considering that he mended fences with the new leadership of POA.
Nandala Mafabi is expected to be appointed Public Accounts Committee Chairperson. FDC leadership believes that PAC lost visibility and only COSASE is shining.
COSASE among others investigated the Shs 6bn presidential handshake scandal that rocked the nation and is still making news
This website will bring further details of the deliberations in Najjanankumbi tomorrow.