Africa-Press – Uganda. The opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), based in Najjankumbi, is yet to decide whether or not to renew its membership with the Interparty Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD.
Addressing journalists yesterday at party headquarters in Kampala, Mr John Kikonyogo, the party spokesperson, revealed that the party has not yet renewed its membership with IPOD after the 2017 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) expired last year.
Mr Kikonyogo said the National Executive Committee (NEC) is yet to sit and announce the party’s position on whether or not to sign the 2022-2026 MoU with IPOD.
He, however, said the party was reluctant to renew its membership.
“IPOD is no longer useful like it used to be. It is more of showing pictures that we are with other parties and what have you, instead of doing what it is supposed to do,” Mr Kikonyogo said.
He added: “Mr Museveni is using it for accountability, to show the world that there is democracy in Uganda. That you can talk, but whatever you discuss is downplayed. It is more cosmetic than real.”
If FDC doesn’t renew its membership with IPOD, it will join the National Unity Platform (NUP) which declined on grounds that the regime uses it (IPOD) for political gains, far from its intended objective of strengthening Uganda’s multiparty democracy. NUP leaders argue that in the past 10 years of IPOD’s existence , the democratic space has shrunk.
Recently, Mr Lawrence Serwambala, the executive director of IPOD, told this publication that although FDC has not yet signed the new MoU 2022-2026, it is still counted as a member.
“They have not formally communicated to us that they will not renew their membership and…from our perspective they are still our members until they communicate otherwise,” Mr Serwambala said.
He added: “National Unity Platform wrote a letter and said they were not interested in joining IPOD, which is different from the position with FDC.”
About IPOD
IPOD was formed in 2010 to facilitate multiparty dialogue in the country between all the parties with representation in Parliament. Although the Forum for Democratic Change was part of IPOD before the expiry of the 2017 MoU, it was not engaging in its activities including summits.
Uganda People’s Congress, Democratic Party, National Resistance Movement and Justice Forum have since renewed their IPOD membership.
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