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FDC NEC: Besigye won’t be subjected to internal election if he accepts to run in 2021

By Samuel Kamugisha
Dr Kizza Besigye. Courtesy Photo
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Main opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) National Executive Committee (NEC) has resolved to ringfence the party’s 2021 presidential election flag for Dr Kizza Besigye if he agrees to run.

FDC has been begging Dr Besigye to stand for presidency for a fifth time, but the former party president is reportedly reluctant on running again.

Besigye has, since 2001, challenged President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, for four times.

A former physician for Museveni during the five-year bush war that propelled the National Resistance Army (NRA) to power, Besigye has in all the four polls complained of electoral malpractice.

After the 2016 election, he formed the People’s Government (PG), with Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago as his deputy.

Lukwago recently joined the FDC, sparking speculation that he could be the party’s 2021 presidential flag bearer.

Days ago, Besigye spoke well of Lukwago in a night TV show, saying he had no doubt the mayor of Uganda’s capital city would make a great president for Uganda.

Read: Besigye ‘endorses’ Lukwago for president: I’d vote him

The FDC NEC met on August 07 in Kampala and discussed two scenarios: Besigye accepting to run, and he declining to stand for a fifth time.

“Should Dr Kizza Besigye offer himself, then there will be no [internal] elections because that is a position agreed by the top executive [organ],” Amuriat said during a reunion of FDC members in Acholi subregion on August 08.

“Should he decide that he is not going to run, then there will be candidates for the presidency of the FDC. We will not allow Mr Museveni to have a free ride to victory in 2021.”

The nomination exercise will determine if FDC will hold a primary election for a presidential flag bearer or not.

Party presidential aspirants will pick nomination forms on August 18 and 19. They are expected to return the same on August 25 and 26.

The party has previously extended the nomination exercise as talks with Besigye dragged on, and as FDC leaders complained of lack of regulations from the Electoral Commission (EC).

Read: Here’s Besigye’s answer on whether he’ll run for president in 2021

Samuel Kamugisha

Samuel Kamugisha is a Ugandan journalist, editor, language instructor, poet, fiction and non-fiction writer.

A Makerere University graduate of Journalism and Communication with a decade-long experience in news reporting, writing and editing, Kamugisha is Editor at The Pearl Times. Most of his previous work was published by The Observer.

When he is not doing journalism work -- which is rare -- Kamugisha will be reading or writing a short story or a poem, or caught up in the writer's block.

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