IPOD ‘Superglues’ on NUP Joining the Platform, Requests for a Meeting

The Interparty Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) has once again written to the leading opposition political party, the National Unity Platform (NUP) seeking for a physical meeting in bid to persuade the party to join the organization.

Last month, NUP rejected a request by IPOD to have them join the organization that brings together all political parties with representation in Parliament by raising a number of reservations.

As the term of the current IPOD framework is set to expire in December 2021, the organization has opted to seek for a physical meeting with NUP leadership to iron out a few issues.

In a letter dated October 20th, 2021, the IPOD Executive Secretary, Frank N. Rusa has written to the NUP Secretary General seeking for a meeting with the party leadership at the party headquarters on November 4th, 2021.

“At a special meeting of the Secretaries General of IPOD held on 19^th October 2021, your letter to me dated September 2^nd, 2021 on the subject matter of NUP eligibility to join IPOD was formally received, considered and discussed,” Rusa noted in the letter.

Rusa said that in light of the pertinent issues raised by NUP, the Secretaries General of IPOD resolved to seek a meeting with the leadership of NUP so that they can formally respond to the political party’s concerns.

“We shall also use the opportunity to throw more light on the vision, mission and aspirations of IPOD on the important matter of strengthening Uganda’s multiparty democracy,” Rusa added.

As part of the reservations raised by NUP Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, the new party can’t be party to a platform that the regime uses for political gain far from its intended objective of “Strengthening Uganda’s multiparty democracy”.

“You will agree that in the past ten years of IPOD’s existence in Uganda, the democratic space has only shrunk, going from bad to worse every successive year. We have taken time to study the discussions that have taken place in IPOD overtime, in our assessment, the regime has turned it into a forum in which Party Principals meet for a cup of tea followed by a photo opportunity,” Rubongoya said in the letter to IPOD last month.

Rubongoya said that all serious discussions about the future of the country have been denied audience within the platform.

“NUP is not keen on taking part in an exercise which is used as a façade to legitimize an otherwise illegitimate rule; we express our yet again our utmost commitment to genuine dialogue based on the principles of fairness, mutual respect, impartiality and transparency,” Rubongoya noted.

He added that the party will not be joining IPOD at present until the issues of concern raised are addressed.

It is yet to be know whether NUP leadership shall agree to the request for a meeting with IPOD leadership.