Mbabazi, Besigye Joint Presidential Candidate negotiations Collapse

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Talks between former Prime Minister who is contesting for presidency John Patrick Amama Mbabazi and Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye to front a single candidate have failed to yield positive results, meaning the two will contest in the coming presidential elections.

For the past two days, Forum for Democratic Change and Go Forward camps have been negotiating single candidate formalities. On Friday last week, the two presidential aspirants said in a press statement they had agreed to field a single joint presidential candidate in next year’s election.

The Democratic Alliance (TDA) spokesperson Hon Wafula Oguttu has said the alliance agreed to move on and have two presidential candidates nominated.

“Because of time element , given that Presidential nominations are due on November 3and 4, we agreed to move on and have the two candidates nominated while we continue the contacts and exploring possibilities of future cooperation most especially on vote protection and resisting partisan and unconstitutional police actions during the on-going electoral process,” he said.

He added; “When the negotiations hit a stalemate, FDC proposed alternative B as a fallback position; of both candidates testing the ground after nomination and then two sides meeting again to review the situation. The Go Forward team said they would to go back and consult on the proposal.”

Oguttu noted that both sides also agreed to focus efforts on common political opponent “the rogue regime” and to stop attacking each other through unhelpful media wars.

He said that FDC President Mugisha Muntu offered Go Forward camps and the parties backing candidate JP Amama Mbabazi the Executive Premiership plus 60% of cabinet positions.
Muntu argued that Dr Kizza Besigye who had been elected by FDC National Delegates Conference, had for 15 years demonstrated his consistence in the struggle for democracy, had a more popular appeal, has millions of voters and supporters behind him despite being rigged out of victory.

For the past months, TDA and other international diplomats including most recently former United Nations Secretary General Koffi Annan and Kenya Opposition leader Raila Odinga have been trying to convince the two to field a single candidate in the coming presidential elections.

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