Uganda’s political parties push Salim Saleh’s CDA Initiative into National Dialogue Framework
Nakaseke, Uganda | ENTEBBENEWS.NET | A section of the country’s political parties and stakeholders have today agreed to integrate the Consociational Democracy Agreement (CDA) into the existing Uganda National Dialogue (UND) framework, a move proponents hope will broaden political reconciliation efforts.
The consultative meeting, held at Gen. Salim Saleh’s Kirema Heritage Farm in Nakaseke, brought together representatives under the Inter-Party Organization for Dialogue (IPOD), the National Consultative Forum (NCF), the CDA team, and other stakeholders.
In a joint press statement issued after the talks, the participants said the integration would provide an established national platform for broader, inclusive and structured stakeholder engagement towards political reconciliation, socioeconomic transformation and national cohesion.
The statement was signed by NCF Chairman Godfrey Kiwanda Ssuubi, IPOD Council Chairman Gerald Blacks Siranda, and Prof. Ogenga Otunnu, Team Leader of the CDA initiative.
The UND framework was established under the authority of President Yoweri Museveni on December 18, 2018, and is chaired by Prime Minister Emeritus Rt. Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda. Experts said that by folding the CDA into this structure, the participants appeared to anchor the power-sharing proposal within an existing presidential mandate rather than creating a parallel process.
The meeting, however, was significantly weakened by the absence of the country’s main opposition parties. Both the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and the National Unity Platform (NUP) boycotted the Nakaseke gathering. The FDC cited concerns over the neutrality of the venue, Gen. Saleh’s private farm, and said the meeting violated preconditions agreed upon by political actors, including a neutral convenor and venue. NUP confirmed it would not attend, reiterating its longstanding refusal to participate in IPOD activities.
The CDA proposal, reportedly co-authored by Gen. Saleh and Prof. Otunnu, is contained in a 128-page working document that seeks to move Uganda away from a winner-takes-all electoral system toward a negotiated power-sharing arrangement. It has drawn mixed reactions, with the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) rejecting it outright and demanding an independent convener and guarantor.
Friday’s statement acknowledged previous dialogue efforts and emerging national challenges but did not address the opposition boycott. The signatories framed the integration as a step toward political reconciliation.
