A meeting convened by opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party members in Masindi district to elect new party leaders on Thursday turned rowdy following a disagreement.
The meeting was called by the party district general secretary Moses Tugume after the defection of some members of the district executive including the chairperson Isaac Kanyamu, to Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).
The recently launched ANT is headed by retired Major General Mugisa Muntu.
Disagreements broke up mid-way after one of the party members Isaac Bongomin, the councilor for Kijura ward in Masindi central division and also the party general secretary in Masindi municipality protested the elections on grounds that the people who were in the meeting were not the right people to elect the district party executive.
Bongomin added the meeting was not convened in the line with party constitution but his argument was opposed by most of the members which prompted him to storm out in protest.
He later told journalists outside the meeting that most of the people who attended the meeting were not party members, saying they were collected from the streets by Tugume to fulfill his objective of becoming the district party chairperson.
He said the party district executive members are supposed to be elected by constituency delegates in the district party council and not any party members.
Bongomin, who is also the FDC party national conference delegate, also faulted the method used to invite the members to the meeting saying they were not given the minimum seven day notice required by the party constitution.
As Bongomin addressed the media, the members who remained in the meeting went ahead and elected Tugume, who had resigned his position as general secretary, as the new party district chairperson unopposed.
The members also elected journalist Augustus Bigirwenkya as Tugume’s replacement in the elections that were presided over by one Tom Kiweesi.
However Bongomin vowed not to recognize the new leaders and even threatened to petition the party’s national headquarters over the elections.
Tugume later on admitted that they did not follow the party constitution in electing the new party leaders saying the situation could not allow it since the former party chairperson did not give the prior notice before defecting from the party.
He claimed to have received instructions from the party headquarters to hold elections and revealed that the new leaders will serve on an interim basis until next year when substantive party leaders will be elected.
In his inaugural speech Tugume promised to intensify mobilisation for the party in the district to enable it perform better in the coming elections.
On his side Bigirwenkya promised to increase the party’s membership in the district and called for unity among party members to enable the party achieves its goals.
