KASESE – A section of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party leaders in Kasese District have described as betrayal the decision by the party president to sack Ms Winnie Kiiza from the position of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Parliament.
Ms Kiiza is the Woman MP for Kasese, which is a stronghold of the FDC, with most of the district representatives in Parliament hailing from the party.
In the last four presidential elections, the FDC candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, has often won resoundingly.
And now the Kasese district FDC leadership has threatened to march up to the national party offices in Najjanankumbi, Kampala if party president Patrick Amuriat does not explain why Ms Kiiza was removed from the position.
“We are not convinced with the way the party president acted to chase our own before her term of office expired. He lied to us and we feel betrayed as people who voted 100% at national level and 80% at district level. We have given him five days to respond to us or else we shall walk up to Najjanankumbi for action,” said the district FDC vice chairperson, Mr Ntabose Gideon Sanyu.
Ms Florence Mbambu, the Mahango Sub-county youth Councillor, said replacing Ms Kiiza was unfair to the people of Kasese who have always voted FDC.
“We are equally disappointed as the youth of Kasese because we thought that position was given to us as a reward but now that it has been taken away, we shall use plan B to show him that his leadership is not entertained in Kasese,” Masika said.
Kasese Municipality MP Robert Centenary said:
“We had agreed to be in Parliament as a minority group but not as the opposition but his action now confirms that we had lost the election contrary to what we agreed upon when he took up the leadership of the party.”
The legislator also wondered why Kiiza would be removed from office before her term of office expires.
On Monday, Ms Kiiza herself described the recent announcement of new leaders in Parliament as unconstitutional.
She said that appointing “minority leaders would be foolish since there is no such position in the Constitution and the Parliamentary rules of procedure.”
“When we begin to break the rules of the game, abrogating the constitution even before we get into power, then there is a lot to be desired,” she said.
Amuriat on August 3 announced a sweeping reshuffle in the party’s parliamentary leadership by appointing the Gulu Woman MP Betty Aol Ochan to replace Kiiza as LoP.
FDC made other changes in its leadership, appointing Nandala Mafabi as the chair Public Accounts Committee.
Buhweju County MP Francis Mwijukye was appointed Commissioner of Parliament replacing veteran Cecilia Ogwal of Dokolo.
Ssemujju Nganda remained the Chief Opposition Whip in Parliament and his deputy will be Hon Tonny Muhindo.
Fungaroo Kaps Hassan of Obongi County was appointed as the Committee Chairperson of Government Assurance and Hon Micheal Kabaziguruka as his deputy.
In other changes, Mubarak Munyagwa was appointed the Chairperson of the Committee on Commissions, replacing Abdu Katuntu. He will be deputized by Hon Moses Kasibante.
Roland Kaginda was named head of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, while DP’s Betty Nambooze was named CPA Representative.
