FDC is being destroyed by almost every leader of FDC because one man can’t destroy a political party. It requires the cooperation of several people when they collectively agree on an irrational view of reality and start fighting against something incompatible with reality. This is the problem currently destroying the FDC, in case you are not clear on the nature of reality. The divisions in FDC now, I believe, have been brewing for about the last four years.
The reality is that there’s no hard evidence showing that both Nandala Mafabi and Amuriat Patrick are ‘sleeper agents’ in FDC. The hyperbole and vulgarity aimed at both does nothing but insult, belittle and denigrate the people who voted for them in those positions. These insults are coming from those who are no more intelligent or moral than the ones they are insulting. The answer is that the process needs to be allowed to play out according to the FDC constitution. Doing anything otherwise is a waste of time and a breed for more infighting.
I’m actually at a loss as to how anybody would think that making the FDC problems public was/is helping the party. The top party leaders are working extremely hard to destroy each other’s images. There is a bias on either side.
The Nandala group has a very big advantage, though. They seem to have more money, more MPs and state institutions on their side and control almost all the media. Politicians are good at getting people to be loyal to them; so much that they can make you believe things about the other party that have never been true. This can lead to you and me having anger and hatred toward the opposing party. It can even divide the people of Uganda. It makes us so blind to what is really going on. Some can get so brainwashed that even if the other political party makes complete sense about something, there will be no agreement just out of spite. Instead of pulling together to help the opposition, they would rather it fail, to destroy the party’s image – It is so disgraceful to do that.
If we look back in time, the FDC came in 2004 after the Democratic party in order to remove Museveni from power. Later, NUP was revived in 2020 in order to stop the FDC party, and the majority of the voters in opposition are now likely to round themselves around NUP in the next 5-15 years. NUP will be discarded once their usefulness has expired – Count on it.
We are all well aware about how the NUP and NRM have usurped social media in order to begin the brainwashing of youth very early about the pending Muhoozi Kainerugaba Vs Bobi Wine contest in 2026. This has been done subtly and very carefully since 2021.
BESIGYE’S CONTRIBUTION
Yes, I adore Besigye but he has made some blunders in this conflict, though it’s wrong for anybody in opposition to start spreading propaganda against him. The FDC in particular owes its success to Besigye’s pragmatism (thinking of or dealing with problems in a practical way, rather than by using theory or abstract principles). Besigye’s arrest in 2006 after coming back from exile was the main recruitment point for FDC at the beginning. His boldness to confront the soldiers and police on streets for years was something Ugandans had never seen before. We were used to politicians that usually oppose Museveni through their respective offices and issuing endless press conferences.
Because of Besigye’s sacrifices for the FDC and opposition, I therefore, don’t foresee much problem for Erias Lukwago as interim President of FDC and the party not doing well under his leadership if he eventually becomes full time FDC president. I would also recommend, with the highest level of urgency and priority, that Lukwago works hard to unite FDC leaders instead of furthering more divisions.
MOVING FORWARD
Maybe to move forward FDC needs to look back at its beginning and really think about the values that made them the most prosperous party that everyone adored and wanted to come to.
Every party has got factions – anybody that tells you otherwise is lying. For the party to be successful, each faction pushes for what they want but understands that they need to back the group as a whole in order to achieve overall success. You may not get everything you want but you will still get some of what you want if you work with others.
Also, let’s stop believing everything we hear on the news channels and other places. Politicians and news channels are experts at twisting stories and making false accusations – somehow, they still get people to believe them. There is such a bias in the media that it isn’t hard to see who is working for who.
If the FDC carries on like this in the next year or so, then it’s likely to end like the Whig party in the USA – dead. The Whigs split over the question of slavery and were weakened by presidents of their party not supporting their ideals. Abraham Lincoln always characterized himself as an “Old Whig.” As the USA moved toward confrontation over slavery in the 1850’s, the Whigs faded away as irrelevant and lacking in attractive leadership.
There were physical fights in (and out of) the halls of Congress, personal insults entered in the congressional records, and it wasn’t unusual to find mob violence as a feature of elections. One Representative even resigned his office saying, “You can all go to hell, I’m going to Texas”. He did indeed go to Texas where he died fighting at the Alamo.
In the midst of all this the Whigs fought within itself until it splintered and disappeared completely. In 1856, the Whigs basically reorganized, changing their name to Republicans. You might even find some parallels that could be drawn with FDC, but to me this was the best example of political party conflicts. I can only think how truly wise George Washington was to tell Americans to avoid forming political parties ever.
Sorry to drag this out so long but I just wanted to say something by giving both sides of the story instead of making this a Nandala or Besigye bash.
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
