MASAKA.
The newly elected president of the Democratic Front (DF) party, Mr Mathias Mpuuga has expressed readiness to work with all opposition change seeking forces in the forthcoming general elections.
Mpuuga who is also a Nyendo-Mukungwe Municipality legislator and Parliamentary Commissioner said through negotiations, DF will be ready to field joint candidates and also cooperate with other parties to bring meaningful change in the country.
However , the legislator’s new point of view contradicts that he held a few months ago when he stated that it will be ‘suicidal’ for the wider opposition to participate in next year’s general elections without sweeping electoral reforms .
“Our agenda is to exploit all possible means to deliver peaceful change for our country , but not fighting our fellow players, and we have no problem sitting with National Unity Platform (NUP) to find a common good and purpose,” he noted while addressing party supporters at Laston Gardens in Masaka City during party’s inauguration ceremony on Friday.
Mpuuga added that these efforts will commence immediately with demanding and ensuring that all political prisoners including Dr. Kizza Besigye are released.
“Our struggle shall get stuck if we command fellow Ugandans and we leave them to rot in jails, how could we attract other fighters, we’re going to work with People Front For Freedom (PFF) and other political prisoners to ensure that they return home,” he said.
Mr Muhammad Nsereko, the Kampala Central MP and President of the newly formed Ecological Party asked leaders in opposition to end the politics of deception and focus on issue- based politics.
“We want to see real politics , let it be a contest of ideas and then find a point of convergence to steer our people and the struggle forward,” he said
Mr Sadam Gayiira, the president of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) urged the opposition politicians to avoid internal bickering ahead of the General Elections .
During the same function ,over 50 members from various parts of the country expressed interest in carrying DF party flag to contest for parliamentary positions and hundreds of local government positions.
Among those who expressed interest to stand on DF ticket is the veteran National Resistance Movement cadre Mr Sem Abdu Kyabangi , the former chairman of Gomba District who is set to vie for the same seat.
The launch of DF started with a delegates conference on Thursday where over 700 delegates endorsed Mr Mpuuga as the inaugural party president .The delegates also ratified the party’s National Executive Committee without a single competitive vote.and other members in various positions that constitutes the National Executive Committee.
The formation of DF follows Mpuuga’s widely publicized fallout with the NUP leadership, sparked by a controversial Shs500 million “service award” he received as parliamentary commissioner. While NUP labeled the payout as an abuse of office and demanded his resignation, Mpuuga stood his ground, insisting he had done nothing wrong.