DF Has Not Endorsed Any Presidential Candidate, Says Mpuuga

In a candid discussion on NBS TV on October 14, 2025, Mathias Mpuuga, the President of the Democratic Front (DF), addressed the swirling rumors surrounding the party’s potential endorsement of a presidential candidate for the upcoming 2026 elections.

During the broadcast, Mpuuga made it clear that the resolution passed by the DF’s National Council on September 20, 2025, not to field a presidential candidate over absence of meaningful electoral and constitutional reforms which would ensure the electoral playing field is level for all to participate as opposed to the status quo which favours the incumbent. He underscored that this resolution is resolute and that the DF has not backed any aspirants for the presidential race thus far.

“Endorsement cannot be a ritual. Endorsement must deliberate, must be protracted, must be discussed, and must be a point of conviction. When the National Council of the DF sat and made a resolution to say that we have not endorsed anybody, but we are observing and listening to opposition candidates, and we would if necessary arises, endorse one of them. The one that will speak to our aspirations as the party, the one that will speak to the kind of issues that inhibited our participation at the presidency, and that if that chance arises, we would endorse that candidate,” Mpuuga said.

He added, “It is very important that we do not turn politics into a ritual. Politics and politicians must be serious about what they tell people and as the DF, we do not think, and refuse to say that if no one does articulate the views we think should be articulated, we would leave it. We are not obligated to endorse anyone.”

To conclude it, Mpuuga said,“it is our space, and if we think it is right to do, we will do it. It is not a crime for us to endorse no one.”

Shifting gears from the endorsement topic, Mpuuga expressed pride in the progress the DF has made since its inception, particularly in diversifying its membership to include individuals from various political backgrounds, not just those disenchanted with the National Unity Platform (NUP).

“We have welcomed members from any party and from anywhere… even from the NRM,” he noted, addressing misconceptions that the DF exclusively recruits from disenfranchised NUP supporters.

He emphasized the party’s openness to anyone who aligns with its vision, regardless of prior political affiliations.

During the interview, the discussion shifted to the DF’s minimum political agenda, highlighting that the agenda had been effectively communicated about a month ago, underscoring the party’s dedication to tackling critical issues impacting the nation.

“We are not spectators. Definitely our humble work will have an influence over what will happen at the presidential elections. Unless your belief is that without having a presidential candidate we are non-actors,”Mpuuga said.

In response to criticisms suggesting that the DF has become a marginal player in the political landscape, Mpuuga firmly countered such claims.

“Influence can be direct or indirect, and in my humble view, where we have the space, membership, and influence, we speak to the people and I contend that our voice is being heard, and respected in those spaces,” he stated.