DGF & Netherlands Institute on democracy suspends IPOD funding citing human rights violations

The Democratic Governance Facility a leading agency in funding the Interparty Organization for Dialogue has decided to stop giving any further coins to IPOD citing human rights violations by the regime in power. #WhisperEyeNews

The decision by DGF came in a time when the Netherlands Institute on multi party Democracy also decided to stop giving any more funding to IPOD. This followed protests in the Netherlands near the agency’s headquarters by the National Unity Platform diaspora chapter which called on its leaders to stop giving money to IPOD due to the continued human rights violations.

The Chairman of IPOD who also doubles as the Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement – NRM Dr Richard Twodong informed the parties under the IPOD umbrella he received a letter from DGF letting him know that they will wind up their activities in Uganda by December hence no more funding the IPOD.

” The activities of IPOD have in the past been supported by the developmental patterners the Netherlands Institute of Multiparty Democracy and the Democratic Governance Facility who have decided to withdraw their support to IPOD.” He said

Twodong said that the Netherlands Institute was put under pressure by the NUP diaspora teams that asked it to cripple the funding.

“The Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy on the other hand may not be in a position to continue its support [to] IPOD secretariat since it has been under immense pressure from the diaspora chapter of National Unity Platform (NUP), which has staged various demonstrations at its head office and at the Dutch Parliament, demanding that the Institute stops support to IPOD,” said Mr Todwong

The crisis comes at a time when the government had just increased the funding of IPOD from shs 10 billion to 35 billion with Twodong wondering whether the government will manage to get the money considering the current budget constraints.

Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Hon Nobert Mao reacted on the matter saying that the NUP activists abroad should instead propose something rather than opposing everything.

“Whether you’re an activist or not, you have your only country Uganda because after you have demonstrated in Hague, you get on a plane and come back to Entebbe,” he said.