Following the failed attempts by Opposition Political Parties under the Interparty Organization for Dialogue (IPOD) to have political reforms, FDC and DP that form the biggest opposition in the arrangement announced they were quitting. But NRM Deputy Secretary-General Richard Twodong said this was not the time for the Opposition to quit the dialogue for the sake of good governance. “We are encouraging them not to leave, I would love to say they are leaving. We are going to have a dialogue with them, we encourage them to keep in the IPOD. As we have dialogue in ourselves, as we have a dialogue with the government am sure their constraints will be resolved and I believe they will not leave.” Said, Richard Twodong – Deputy Secretary General.

Among the most thought after reforms by the Opposition was an independent Electoral Commission. Twodong said efforts by NRM party to implement the resolution by IPOD are frustrated by the government. “Members of political parties have raised concerns on how senior members of political parties are treated by security agents in government and this has affected all of us. It has affected NRM, you are sure NRM leaders have been arrested by security.” He said the ruling party which was grappling with a number of frustrations at the hands of government something DP said was hidden and seek politics. “Even NRM political party has issues with the government of Uganda, so we all have issues with the government of Uganda as a party. Now, as a party we need to respect and restrain ourselves from breaking this very cordial spirit that of cooperation and collaboration.”

For quite some time, there have been narratives that NRM is government and government is NRM but there is a revelation from Richard Twodong the Deputy Secretary-General that even the NRM party is frustrated by the government. So then who is government and who is NRM?. “Our understanding is that NRM party is the one which forms a government unless they are trying to tell us that there is no NRM party. It is a one-man show.” Said, Kenneth Paul Kakande – Spokesperson, Democratic Party.

“If there are problems that our members of our colleagues of other political parties are seeing that we can resolve, these members should be brought to the council. It is the council which comprises of the Secretary Generals and other key leaders from other political parties that meet can always resolve these issues then the summit.” Said, Richard Twodong. “We have an exhaust of all these challenges and us tired of being like kids.” According to DP, unless NRM ceases ping-pong politics, the dialogue is no longer a platform where political fair play can be thought thus exiting will be the solution. “We believe that it does not make sense anymore to keep working with people wasting people’s time, making resolutions which will never see the light of the day. We believe that it is a wastage of time, let us agree that engagement does not make sense. Dialogue does not make sense because with no dialogue for the sake of it, with dialogue for purposes of coming with an outcome even it is a little one as long as you are moving in a positive direction but in this sense, there is no movement at all. Instead what we see is retracted.” Said the DP Spokesperson. The chairmanship of the IPOD is rotation with NRM providing the current leadership.