The Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has barred three members of Parliament (MPs) from Teso region from taking part in the ongoing nomination exercise until they resolve “pending issues” with the political group.
The MPs include Mr Elijah Okupa (Kasilo), Ms Angelline Osege (Soroti District) and Edmund Herbert Ariko (Soroti Municipality).
Their troubles with the party can be traced to 2017 during party where the trio supported the then FDC president Maj Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntu who was campaigning to retain the seat against Mr Patrick Oboi Amuriat, who won the party presidency.
Gen Muntu later broke away from FDC to form the Alliance for National Transformation.
Since then, the MPs are reported to have abandoned the party and all its activities.
Mr Sam Olupot, the FDC District Registrar in Serere District said that they could not nominate Mr Okupa as the FDC flag bearer for the Kasilo County Parliamentary race before getting clearance from the party leadership.
He said that that the MP has not been paying his monthly contribution to the party, a situation that requires clearance before his nomination.
In Soroti District, Ms Jane Acen, the party chairperson says they were given strict guidelines by the FDC top organ not to nominate the members until they are cleared.
She, however, said that that only Ms Osege expressed interest in picking nomination forms while Mr Ariko was not bothered.
Ms Osege said that she will contest for the parliamentary seat with or without FDC’s endorsement. She said that since the government is funding party activities, there was no need for individual MPs to continue remitting funds to the party without clear objectives.
Mr Ariko said he is yet to pick forms from FDC offices.
He, however, said that he still belongs to the party.
He downplayed concerns of not remitting monthly contribution saying that he has been solely paying rent for party offices in Soroti until 2018.
So far, the party has nominated Mr Moses Attan Okia, who lost to Mr Ariko in 2016 for the Soroti Municipality Parliamentary seat, Ms Anne Adeke Ebaju, the Female Youth MP was nominated for the Soroti Woman MP seat, while Ms James Emaju has been nominated to contest in Kasilo county.
However, Mr Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the FDC spokesman said: “Those forms are for everybody, whoever wants to pick can pick and return if you are FDC member. You are bringing such things to me for the first time but will find out since I am seeing some of the members here.”
He, however, hastened to add that the party could not tolerate some members who are double minded.
