Reports Leo Odera Omolo

THE Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC) is to agree on the flag-bearer for the 2011 elections by consensus, officials said yesterday. Nominations take place today at Kololo Airstrip.

The publicity secretary of the Forum for Democratic Change party, Wafula Oguttu, said the coalition had set up a committee to convince candidates to choose the flag-bearer without elections.

The party’s president, Kizza Besigye, is among the five candidates due for nomination today. Other candidates are Hussein Kyanjo of Justice Forum, Prof. James Kigongo of the Conservative Party, Dr. Olara Otunnu of the Uganda Peoples Congress and Michael Mabikke of the Social Democratic Party.

The Democratic Party, led by Norbert Mao, has not yet joined the coalition.

“Candidates will first go into negotiations immediately after nominations.

Later, they will meet the eminent team for talks to decide on who should pull out and who should stand in for IPC,” Oguttu said.

The results will be announced on August 23, 2010. Besigye said: “After nominations we shall sit and decide as candidates and I do not know whether I will be the favourite candidate. I cannot say I am the best but I have experience and support.”

Kyanjo and Ken Lukyamuzi also said a negotiated candidate would create harmony among the members of the opposition

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