FDC snubs IPOD summit meeting.

The Interparty Organization for Dialogue (IPOD) under the stewardship of the rotational chairmanship of the  NRM Party Secretary General Hoñ. Justine Kasule Lumumba addressed a joint press conference on Monday, where IPOD announced the impending  summit meeting at Kololo Air strip this Friday that will be chaired by NRM Party Chairman Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Conspicuously absent at the joint Press conference of the IPOD members (Political Parties represented in Parliament), was FDC ; the current largest opposition party in parliament.

FDC chose to snub not only the press conference but also the IPOD summit.

“We think Mr. Museveni has succeeded in patronizing IPOD as his walking stick and thereby reducing the IPOD to a mere social gathering(club). IPOD summit is always convened at the convenience of Mr. Museveni,” an FDC office said.

From the day of nomination for Presidential elections in November to January 14th 2021, FDC contends,” we had a very violent and repressive elections, the FDC Presidential candidate Hon. Eng.Patrick Amuriat Oboi who is a member of IPOD summit was arrested 14 times even on the very day of nomination we remember how he was violently and inhumanly handled at the Party Headquarters.  He was arraigned in court 3 times in the middle of the campaigns and slapped scores of trumped up charges.”

Hon. Amuriat received the worst treatment by the overzealous security apparatus on orders from above (Mr. Museveni);  he was severely beaten, teargassed to near death ( he was  sprayed with a dangerous chemical in his face that led him being partially blind, and his subsequent  hospitalization in Bugiri and his campaign team had to suspend his campaign expedition in the eastern region until he regained consciousness).

Amuriat’s campaign vehicles were vandalized by the Police and other security organs, tear gas was the order of the day, Hon. Amuriat survived death in Kyegegwa through a nasty accident that the police masterminded leading to many policemen sustaining fatal injuries as they wanted to overtake his convoy, he survived death narrowly; the flying bullets by police in Kitagwenda , the bullets that were aimed at his motorcade ended up on the VIP Police security personnel vehicle  that was assigned to him by electoral commission. The car windscreens were  completely shuttered by flying bullets.

The former Kumi County Legislator and FDC Presidential candidate Hon. Amuriat was arrested in Mpigi taken to Mpigi Central Police station and spent the night in the dirty Police cell where he was dehumanized beyond compare, he shared a cell with criminals, those who raped children, thieves something that reduced a national Political Party leader, Presidential candidate, former 3 times MP and a senior citizen per say his “crime” was  waving to people via his  open roof vehicle!!!!.

While a lot was happening during elections and after elections the countless abduction of opposition and perceived opposition supporters, IPOD never sat to find an amicable solution to the political problem of the time. Not even a statement in one paragraph came out of IPOD condemning the state of affair.

We in FDC believe, the timing of IPOD is not ordinate to meet our tormentor (Mr.Museveni the chairman of IPOD) to “thank him for the job well done”.

We appreciate that Mr. Museveni is looking for legitimacy, he wanst to use IPOD as a tool to show he is at harmony with all political opponents. FDC wont participate in the Museveni’s schemes to legitimize his rigged elections through the cover of the IPOD summit where he intends to use this very occasion to launch a national conference where he is courting opposition parties to craft a Government of National Unity with them.

IPOD is under capture by the junta. FDC will not be part of such arrangement. We shall always  stand with the oppressed people of Uganda,” concludes Dr. Kiiza Besigye