Alliance for National Transformation

Background

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) was the leading opposition party in Uganda during the 2000s and 2010s.[3] On three consecutive occasions, during the presidential elections in 2006, 2011 and 2016, the party fielded retired Colonel Doctor Kizza Besigye, as the party's flag-bearer against the ruling National Resistance Movement's candidate, General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Dr Besigye lost the contest, on each occasion.[4] In 2017, Patrick Oboi Amuriat won the FDC presidency against the then-party president, retired Major General Gregory Mugisha Muntu, in hotly contested elections that were allegedly characterised by character assassination and verbal attacks to the person of General Muntu as well as insults, tribal and degrading statements against the person of Patrick Amuriat Oboi by the Muntu team. In this election, Amuriat polled 641 votes against 463 votes for Muntu.[5]

Formation of ANT

The election of Patrick Amuriat split the FDC into two camps, one that supported defiance to the junta led by Gen. Yoweri Museveni (supported by Amuriat) and the other that supported non-confrontational approach (supported by Muntu).[6] In September 2018, Mugisha Muntu and his supporters quit the FDC party to form a new party. His main objective in the new party is to build grass-roots party structures, encourage more members to run for parliamentary seats and in local elections as well as working in coalition with like minded opposition forces, namely People Power (Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine), the Democratic Party Bloc (Norbert Mao) and JEEMA (Asuman Basalirwa) with the aim of putting forward a single joint candidate to compete in the 2021 presidential elections to oust the Museveni, who has been in power since the overthrow of the democratically elected President Milton Obote after a protracted Bush War that used child soldiers and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Ugandan civilians.[7] Later the same month, Muntu announced that he had begun the process of forming the new party, under the code name New Formation.[1]

In March 2019, the Electoral Commission of Uganda, approved the political party, opening the way for gazetting and opening of offices in the future.[2][8]

Ms Alice Alaso, a former member of Parliament for Serere District Wmen Constituency and former Vice President of FDC for the Eastern Region of Uganda, is one of the promoters of the new party.[9]

It was officially launched at the Serena Kampala Hotel, in an event attended by Members of Parliament, heads of political parties, civil society organizations and the academia. Those present at the launch included Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, Democratic Party (DP) president Norbert Mao, Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) President Jimmy Akena, the Conservative Party’s Ken Lukyamuzi, former leaders of Opposition Winifred Kiiza and Prof Morris Ogenga Latigo, Arua Municipality MP Kassiano Wadri and Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu, among others.

The Party unveiled its official symbol, a lighting bulb, its colours (white, purple, and orange) and a logo: a map of Uganda lit with a bulb in the middle.

Leaders

The Interim Committee

National Coordinators

National Coordinator: – Major Gen. (Rtd) Mugisha Muntu

Finance and Administration: Hon. Alice Alaso

Deputy National Coordinator Operations and Mobilisation: Mr. Nyanja Musoke

Religious Affairs: Eunice Okullo

Civil Society: Prossy Naikoba

In Charge of Workers: Siraji Nsanja

Research and Policy: Okumu Martin

Electoral Coordinator: Dan Mugarura

Educational Institutions: David Bala Mwiruka

National Treasurer: Hon. Christine Abia Bako

Deputy Treasurer: Ismail B.

Spokesperson: Mr. Wilberforce Seryazi

Deputy Spokesperson: Sulaiman Kakaire

Coordinator, Parliament Affairs: Hon. Ekwau Florence

International and Diaspora Affairs: Barbara Allimadi

Regional Coordinators

Central Region: Owek. Sewava Serubiri

Western Region: Jackson Wabyona

Eastern Uganda: Hannington Basakana

Northern Uganda: Ms. Ochan Phoebe

Team of Elders

Hon. Yokasi Bihande Bwambale
Hon. Dan Wandera
Hon. Munini Mulera

References
  1. Paul Ampurire (30 September 2018). "Mugisha Muntu Announces Formation of New Political Party". Kampala: SoftPower Uganda. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  2. Nixon Segawa (19 March 2019). "EC Clears Mugisha Muntu's Alliance For National Transformation Party". Kampala: SoftPower Uganda. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  3. Reuters (26 November 2018). "Opposition: Uganda Police Use Tear Gas, Live Rounds to Disperse Meeting". Washington, DC: Voice of America Quoting Reuters. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  4. BBC News (21 February 2016). "Uganda challenger Besigye claims poll fraud over Museveni win". London: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  5. Nicholas Wasajja (25 November 2017). "Amuriat Elected New FDC Party President". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  6. Wandera, Derrick (25 November 2017). "Amuriat victory splits FDC leadership". Kampala: 93.3 KFM Uganda. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  7. Charles Mpagi (25 September 2018). "Mugisha Muntu quits FDC to start new party". The East African. Nairobi. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  8. Misairi Thembo Kahungu (10 January 2019). "EC clears Gen Muntu's party for registration". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  9. URN (20 March 2019). "Electoral Commission finally clears Gen Muntu ANT party". Daily Monitor Mobile Quoting Uganda Radio Network (URN). Kampala. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
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