The chairperson for the Inter Party Organization for Dialogue (IPOD), Nobert Mao has blasted the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) for continuously snubbing the IPOD summit despite calls for dialogue with the ruling National Resistance Movement Party Chairperson Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on increased inhuman treatment of opposition politicians.
Opening the second IPOD summit in Entebbe, Mao said that all the five parties in the Summit are receiving 1 billion from the Netherlands institute for multi-party democracy including the FDC which didn’t turned up again.
He says that the party officials have consistently been stubborn and keep boycotting the summits yet they are benefiting from the fundings.
He says that FDC should change their mind set of thinking that sitting with president Museveni would water down their image and start attending the summits.
The dialogue is meant to bring together leaders of different political parties and the council, a forum of Secretary Generals of political parties. The council executive is responsible for proposing ideas and drafting documents which are later submitted to the summit of leaders for approval.
Mao who was flanked by the UPC party President Jimmy Akena and JEEMA Chairperson Mohammad Kibirige Mayanja told president Museveni that the opposition is willing to hold meaningful discussions with government so as to improve democracy in the country.
He also decried continued harassment of Opposition politicians by security forces and asked President Museveni to rein on them.
