The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
FDC Provisional results
Patrick Amuriat – 57.6%
Mugisha Muntu – 41.7%
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Provisional results from Mandela Stadium indicate that the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) 7th National Delegates Conference has elected former Kumi Country MP Eng. Patrick Amuriat president.
FDC Electoral Commission head Dan Mugarura announced on Friday night that Amuriat had got 57.6 % of the vote (641) from the delegates, edging incumbent Mugisha Muntu at 463 votes 41.7%.
Mugisha Muntu conceded defeat soon after the announcment. “I congratulate you Patrick Amuriat for your victory but tighten your belt. It is a tough job,” he said.
On his defeat, he said, “I apologise for those that don’t trust me and I am sorry for wasting your time.”
#FDCDecides2017 : Electoral Commission chairperson Dan Mugarura announces Patrick Amuriat as the new FDC party president. pic.twitter.com/7vcTop6YxV
— Herbert Zziwa (@zziwaherbert) November 24, 2017
#FDCDecides2017 Official results: @PatrickAmuriat:57.6% @ByamugishaMoses: 0.4%
Dan Matsiko: 0.3% @mugishamuntu: 41.7%
We are under NEW MANAGEMENT.
— FDC Official (@FDCOfficial1) November 24, 2017
Amuriat’s candidature was heavily boosted by what many see as support from the party’s top honcho, former president Kizza Besigye. Another main Amuriat campaigner was FDC mobiliser Ingrid Turinawe, who is very close to Besigye and a key member of the defiance camp.
Another contender also seen as a Besigye loyalist, legislator Mubarak Munyagwa even stepped out of the race to throw his weight behind Amuriat.
The incumbent Muntu’s campaign was marred by accusations that he is an NRM mole in FDC, Uganda’s leading opposition party.
“I am a founding member of FDC. In fact, I was one of the people that got the party registered. Once we had done this, we went around recruiting members. It was us that insisted on having Dr. Besigye as our presidential candidate in 2001. Is this what moles do?,” responded Muntu.
“I have stood for party presidency flag-bearer. The times I lost, I accepted defeat & convinced my fatigued supporters to put the party interests first & support the victor. If my aim was to distablize the party, wouldn’t the logical thing be to claim the elections were rigged?”
“Instead, I have consistently sought to bring our party together and ensure that everyone can say what they believe without fear or intimidation. When people say that I am an NRM mole, what exactly do they mean?”
Under the party constitution, Muntu can still contest to be flag-bearer but a loss of the party presidency will have weakened him. On the other hand, Besigye can still challenge Muntu for the flag-bearer ticket.
Gen muntu you have not wasted our time this a politics and fdc people have chosen their leader,,we need to keep the party together even if you are voted out you are still an important part of the party and we still need your knowledge.its good that you have conceeded defeat so early that means we can get over this quickly and concetrate on things that will take the parry a head.
You cannot keep contradictions, dictatorship and backstabbing behaviour and then believe you can remove Museveni.NEVER. Ugandas are awake, they will not allow another Museveni to replace Museveni.FDC needs to make itself clean not to hold iternal elections only.
If people voted out General Muntu coz he is an NRM mole, it means he is not trusted and its better to start his own party where he will be trusted. There are very many Ugandans who see Muntu as the most fit person to succeed Mr. Museven as the President of this country.
I am surprised in disappointment. Muntu wasn’t my favorite candidate but his replacement couldn’t have been Amuriat. Muntu’s weakness was his “sainthood”, Amuriat’s weakness is his “cluelessness.” He seems to have a “delayed reaction” on almost everything. Amuriat’s victory is a win of egos. FDC is clinically dead.
That is it. You have said it. FDC is clinically dead. Amuriat is good, indeed very good, compared to Ugandan average politicians, but not as President of FDC.
The election is now over. i congratulate amuriat’s winning. i equally congratulate muntu concession. victory is at our hand, and the field is ripe. lets now concretise on multi dimensal strategy to oust dictatorship, and redeem our motherland from brutality. we need local and international campaign and support. we also need a penetration into the command structures of functional institutions of state. one uganda one pipo.
I watched and followed all the debates from London. POA is a good righthand man, but not as President of FDC, If this is Kizza Besigye’s strategy of coming back in 2021, FDC is finished. Muntu built all the party structures that gave FDC the 3.5 million votes in 2016. Who has bewitched FDC so as not to see this? Probably the Pope!! NRM is buzzing come 2021…!!! This POA – Besigye coalition is a non-starter, dead on the word go. Mugabe didn’t rule Zimbabwe for 37 years because they wanted him to, but it was because the opposition was so stupid so as to make blatant mistakes like FDC has just made. I think Ugandans need another Political party as a viable opposition. Forget this FDC. They are Political Neophytes and Novices!!!!.
This FDC result further cements the notion why M7 should continue to rule Uganda for as long as he wishes. There are seems to be a brain debilitating disease that has enveloped Ugandans over the years that makes them think in obtuse angles. Otherwise why and how could the major opposition party choose POA as President unless they have been doused on strong substance????!! If POA and KB saw this as a clear passage to Presidential flag bearer in 2021 by supporting POA it is a bad strategy and misuse of a very strong and effective party activist. KB must understand and be humbled to the fact that Ugandans will never, never, and I dare to say never elect him come Joseph or Abraham, short of saying Jesus, as President of Uganda. KB, Man go home to Rukungiiri and rest. Your ideology is not for this generation. In fact most Ugandans, would ask their sons, grandsons, and great great grandsons to vote M7 before they vote for you.
Man thank God you are talking like that cos u are in Europe n can’t know wat we as facing here in the country with the leadership of this man we can do wat we can n leave the rest for God thanks to FDC for that loyalty we shall grow n see wat next time will tell
the politics of elitism is always a fake one. So fake in a way that they will tell you what they think can be done but not what they have done. Muntu said what he had done building party structures and we ignored him.