Reconciliation facing a dilemma as both side resort to winch hunting each other
The internal bickering of top FDC party leaders is not about to end as the elders committee that was constituted to reconcile the two warring factions headed by former MP for Kagoma County Dr. Frank Nabwiso issues the report finding on the alleged State House money received by the party’s Secretary General Nandala Mafabi.
While addressing journalists at the party Headquarters in Najjanankumbi in Kampala, Dr. Nabwiso said that although one of the committee’s terms of reference was to help in reconciling the aggrieved parties in FDC, they have failed yet in the meeting both parties had shown concern of reconciling.
The founding party president Dr. Kiiza Besigye came out in the media and criticized the report although it was not yet released to the public consumption saying it wasn’t worth even printing in on any paper.
The head of the committee that Dr. Nabwiso said that what the Katongo faction alleges on the committee that it doctored the report findings in order to favour Nandala Mafabi was un founded. He said that the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago,Hon Ibrahim Ssemujju and company are entitled to their opinion but they should prove that the committee members don’t have independent minds.
“ Its an insult to me as a former MP and Vice Chancellor of a University to say that I cannot write a report, that it was only written by a younger man who was nominated to take notes while we were interrogating Dr. Besigye and Hon. Nandala.’’ Dr. Nabwiso said.
He adds; “the assertion that our Report was `not being worth the paper it was written on` was also an insult to us because we are people of integrity and we have a very good track record and name to protect’’.
He further said that Dr. Besigye failed to prove that the money that he received from Nandala Mafabi was actually from State House. He talked of getting information from a State House agent yet he declined to disclose the person who gave him the information for purposes of through investigations.
However, State House has denied giving any money to Hon. Nandala Mafabi although Dr. Besigye in today’s daily monitor news paper showed bank notes serial numbers which he claimed was for some of the notes issued to him.
Dr. Nabwiso said that Besigye didn’t bring back the same bank notes and neither did he adduce some to the committee as evidence something that waters down his allegations.
The committee made 8 recommendations which will help to make the party stronger, which include amendment of the party Constitution so as to trim the powers of the president, development of Party alliances in Uganda, focus on the need for reconciliation and grooming young leaders among others.
The committee chairman also said that FDC still needs Dr. Besigye, Mafabi and Eng Patrick Amuriat for the continuous building and growing of the party and therefore the reconciliation process should continue.
By George Bukenya