KAMPALA- My predictions have finally come true: FDC is breaking up: 22 out of its 36 members of parliament are quitting to form a new political party. And these 22 are the most enlightened individuals in FDC.
Initially they will present the party as a pressure group to avoid the requirement of returning to their constituencies to seek a new mandate. However one year to the 2021 elections they will launch the party and it has potential to become the second largest political party in parliament. It will be led by Mugisha Muntu.
For two years now, I have argued on this platform that FDC has been captured by an intolerant, anti-democratic and very uncouth faction of radical extremists led by opposition presidential candidate for life, Dr. Kizza Besigye.
Besigye himself did not start out as a radical extremist. However he adopted this position in order to keep the loyalty of his base. These radical extremists believe in a politics of blackmail, insults, lies and intimidation to get their way. They represent a worse alternative to President Yoweri Museveni’s politics of corruption and patronage.
For all his faults, Museveni represents a more enlightened politics than Besigye and his extremists. He is to some degree liberal democratic give – to a good extent – his tolerance of and respects for free speech and other liberal democratic values. But the radical extremists are fascists.
It was clear from the word go that such a politics of terror and destruction can solidify the base but it would not grow it. Instead it alienates moderates, liberals, independents and many other democratic minded people even inside the NRM who would like to see qualitative change in the politics of the country.
I am happy to announce that the breakup of the FDC has finally arrived. The radical extremists and their cult leader are going to get increasingly exposed for being who they really are – an intolerant, uncouth and anti-democratic cable of hooligans who must be fought before they put their fingers on our nation’s throat!
===========================================================
Who is Andrew Mwenda?
Andrew Mwenda (46) is a Ugandan journalist and the founder and owner of The Independent, a current affairs newsmagazine. He was previously the political editor of The Daily Monitor, a Ugandan daily newspaper, and was the presenter of Andrew Mwenda Live on KFM Radio in Kampala, Uganda’s capital city.
