Bugweri County MP, Hon. Abdu Katuntu has declared that his relationship with the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, is over.
Katuntu made the deceleration today during a talk-show discussion on the “Capital Gang” hosted by Semweya Musoke alongside other discussants including Hon. Semujju Nganda, ANT’s Mugisha Muntu and others.
Asked whether he picked nomination FDC forms and set to contest under the FDC flag, Katuntu said he has no intention to do that because his relationship with FDC ended long ago.
“I did not pick up nomination forms for the FDC and I have no intention of doing that. Even if the nominations were to be re-opened, that one is out, it is a closed chapter” Katuntu said.
The process to pick nomination forms for FDC candidates was closed yesterday evening and the party leadership is yet to announce plans to extend the period to allow more aspirants to express interest in the party flag.
A founder member of FDC who has been in parliament since 2011, Abdu Katuntu, attributed the divisions in FDC to ideological contradictions in the party leadership that have seen many influential members leaving including him.
The ideological contradictions between two factions; led by Kiiza Besigye on one side and Mugisha Muntu on another, he said, arose way back in 2012 but became sharper in 2016, giving birth to Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) party, currently led by former FDC president Gen. Mugisha Muntu.
Katuntu said the same structural and strategic contradictions were exploited by Dr. Kiiza Besigye during FDC party presidential elections in 2016, to swing support towards Patrick Amuriat’s camp and edge out Muntu.
He said as all was happening, he and other members of parliament decided to lie low for fear of being witch-hunted and consequently ejected out of parliament by “powerful individuals” in the party.
He however lauded Gen. Muntu for taking a decision to leave FDC because his departure gave the party leadership an opportunity to practice what they believe in. He also professed the close political relationship between him and Muntu, who he described as a leader whose values he cherishes.
“We now know FDC for what it is. It has now defined itself; so it can be able to propagate and campaign for what it believes in” he said.
On whether he still holds the decision not to seek re-election as an MP, Katuntu said he is still consulting and yet to take a decision on which party to join or whether to contest for Bugweri Constituency again.
“I have a month to make a decision but i can tell you that between me and FDC, that chapter is closed. On contesting, I am yet to take a decision” Katuntu said.