While speaking to journalists yesterday, Thursday, 22nd June, 2023, at Parliament, Hon. Nathan Nandala Mafabi, Secretary General of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), said it’s true there are internal conflicts within FDC, stemming from the division of the Shs. 7 billion boost received from the government to sort out the party’s debts that had accumulated over time.
According to Mafabi, all parties have internal difficulties that, if not handled properly by leaders with a clear head, can cause the party to split, as is now occurring with the FDC. FDC lacks strong leaders to propel it forward, and its existing leaders have become individualists, he stated.
“It is true a small section of our members headed by ill-intentioned persons have taken a radical step to malign the party; such persons are the ones spreading propaganda about the 7 billion boost received from the government since a section of us approached it over our wearying debts,” said Mafabi.
He also revealed that he received the 7 billion on behalf of the party and not as an individual, as most party officials are aware.
“It does not make sense for us to be given money to fight each other and bring down FDC; it is a lie that we don’t see eye to eye with Dr. Besigye; actually, we are the bridge between the President and Besigye, which is why the 7 billion happened and passed through my hands,” he said.
On 19th June, 2023, while speaking to Journalists, Besigye admitted to speaking to the President, but not directly but through people he referred to as proxies, confirming Nandala’s revelations.
“I will and continue to have interactions with President Yoweri Museveni, but only indirectly. Though I have not spoken to him directly in the last 25 years, we have occasionally sent messages to each other, which we respond to,” said Dr. Besigye.
Some political observers, however, believe that FDC, like DP, is on its way to joining the NRM. They feel that the present divisions in FDC are being handled in the same way as DP did, which prompted it to join forces with the NRM.
