UGANDA: Why opposition should withdraw from all parliamentary leadership positions

WHY THE OPPOSITION SHOULD WITHDRAW FROM ALL PARLIAMENTARY LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

CHANGE OF GUARDS - There is growing speculation that the top leadership of Uganda's main opposition party, FDC is planning to reshuffle the office bearers of opposition leadership positions at parliament. These positions are the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP), Opposition Whip, Commissioner of Parliament, Chairpersons of all the four accountability committees and shadow cabinet ministers.

The current opposition office bearers in Parliament were appointed around June 2016 amidst controversy. There was a misunderstanding between one group led by the Secretary General, Nandala Mafabi and the other group that of the then party President, Gen. Muntu. The former group was in favor of appointing a Leader of Minority on grounds that the FDC had won the February 2016 elections. It went ahead to push for an international audit of the presidential polls results. The Presidential contender, Dr. Besigye swore himself in but the regime placed him under detention. When the Speaker rejected the Secretary General's appointment of Leader of Minority, Gen. Muntu was at hand to appoint the Leader of the Opposition. By doing so, Gen. Muntu had saved the regime from a constitutional stalemate.

Gen. Muntu lost the party presidency to the pro Defiance group's Patrick Amuriat Oboy whose candidature was premised on reclaiming the February 2016 FDC victory. The issue of leadership of the opposition in parliament has remained thorny within the FDC. The fact that speculation of an impending reshuffle is being fueled by mostly the regime leaning online news outlets, points at an attempt to weaken the party. The FDC Spokesperson, Ibrahim Ssemujju has refuted claims that a working committee was convened this week to discuss the alleged reshuffle.

While it is a fact that by taking up those leadership positions in Parliament, the opposition did not only legitimize the illegal Museveni regime but contradicts the claim of victory at the February 2016 polls. An opportunity was lost to galvanize defiance right from Parliament. However, it is not too late; the opposition can still withdraw from any leadership positions in Parliament and its members simply retain their seats as ordinary M.Ps. Otherwise, simply replacing the leadership makes no difference other than fomenting disharmony within the opposition to the benefit of the regime. Moreover, it's upholding of such positions has no impact in an environment of a fully fledged military dictatorship.

INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUSEVENISM.