Museveni to Political Parties: Be at the Forefront of Promoting Peace and Stability

NRM party chairman and President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni has urged political parties to set aside their political differences and work together to promote peace and stability in the country.

"I met the Secretaries-General of the member political parties under the Interparty Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) at State House Entebbe. I issued a clarion call to parties to rest their political differences and take lead in the promotion of peace and stability in the country," the president tweeted meeting Secretaries-General of political parties that coalesce under the Interparty Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD)at State House Entebbe on Wednesday.

President Museveni, however, called for a review of the law to exclude political parties that have refused to actively participate in IPOD.

“Also, this is a forum to sort out our issues and should bring together all the parties represented in the parliament. However, others do not want to cooperate, I think such parties should not qualify for government funding under IPOD arrangement. There should be a law somewhere.”

IPOD is a platform founded to structure multiparty dialogue in the country. Since its formation more than 8 years ago, the platform has facilitated participating parties to continuously enhance their internal decision-making structures in order to bring coherent party positions to the forum.

IPOD’s central principle of operating on a consensus-based system is translating into more collaborative behaviour between the parties, indicating a wider political shift towards a democratically-minded political culture.

IPOD, which includes JEEMA, the Democratic Party (DP), the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), the National Unity Platform and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), supports vibrant multiparty democracy in Uganda.

Under IPOD, parties have engaged in dialogue with the Uganda Electoral Commission (IC) ahead of elections in 2021.

IPOD has also in the past been mandated by the Prime Minister’s office to assist in the coordination of the National Dialogue Initiative, aimed at securing consensus on electoral reforms between Uganda’s parties.