DP 2010 INTERNAL ELECTIONS KICKS OFF

GUIDELINES FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRIMARIES 2010
Election of DP leaders in New Districts and where there is no leadership yet.
All newly established Districts, and those lacking full DP leadership up to district level, shall elect their leaders from village to District level, from Monday 28th June - 25th July 2010.
All regional vice presidents should get in touch with the regional representative concerned, to organize these elections and submit results to the office of the national organizing secretary by the 25th of July.
Party Primaries
All Regional Vice-presidents, regional representatives, District and Constituency leaders and their respective organizing secretaries are requested to organize party primaries scheduled to take place between 25th July and 25th August, as categorized below.
i. Parliamentary Primary elections
Parliamentary primaries will be held from 25th July - 25th Aug, 2010, in accordance with the constitution of the Democratic Party which states as here under;
A person shall be elected a parliamentary candidate of the party if he has been an active member of the party for at least five years.
However, any person not qualifying for elections under the afore mentioned provision may apply in writing to the National Secretary General to be exempted if the NEC deems it in the interest of the party and NEC shall in writing exempt such a member from the above provision.
All intending Parliamentary candidates of the party in all constituencies who qualify under the provision of the electoral Laws shall apply in writing to the Secretary General and submit their application for approval.
NB: The National Executive committee reserves the right of final admission of a candidate to vie for a parliamentary seat on the party’s ticket.
ii. Urban and District Primary Elections
These will be held between 25th July -25th August for district woman member of Parliament and all respective local council leaders.
The following shall be observed:
A person shall be elected for urban or district council election if he has been an active member of the party for at least two years. Where a person does not qualify under this provision, he/she will apply for exemption to the National Secretary General.
Party candidates for the urban and District councils shall apply to and be approved by their respective urban, District Executive committees and shall similarly be elected by their respective urban/District sub branches.
iii. Party Primaries for all lower Local Council leaders;
These shall be held from 25th July-25th August 2010. Similarly all intending candidates shall submit their written applications to their respective constituencies or sub county branch executives.
Composition of Delegates conferences:
Apart from the village level, there is a delegate’s conference at the parish, sub-county, constituency, district and national level.
PARISH
This is composed of:
1. All members of the parish executive committee
2. All village women leaders and deputy women leaders in the parish
3. All village youth leaders and deputy village youth leaders in the parish
4. Five delegates from each village in the parish
SUB-COUNTY
This is composed of:
All members of the sub-county executive committee
All Parish women leaders and deputy parish women leaders in the sub-county
All parish youth leaders and deputy parish youth leaders in the sub-county
Three delegates from each parish in the sub-county
CONSTITUENCY (RURAL)
This is composed of:
All members of the constituency executive committee
All sub-county women leaders and deputy sub-county women leaders
All sub-county youth leaders and deputy sub-county youth leaders
Two delegates from each parish in the constituency
CONSTITUENCY (CITY)
This is composed of:
All members of the constituency executive committee
All parish women leaders and deputy parish women leaders
All parish youth leaders and deputy parish youth leaders
Three delegates from each parish in the constituency
DISTRICT
This is composed of:
All members of the district executive committee
All constituency women leaders and deputy constituency women leaders in the district
All constituency youth leaders and deputy constituency youth leaders in the district
Three delegates from each sub-county in the district. In case of a city, three delegates from each constituency.
SUPERVISION:
Elections by branch and sub-branch delegates’ conferences shall be presided over by a person appointed by:
The national executive committee for the district delegates conference
The district executive committee for constituency delegates conference
The constituency executive committee for sub-county (rural) and parishes (city) delegates conference
The sub-county executive for parish (rural) delegates conference
REQUIREMENTS:
All aspiring candidates shall submit the following requirements:
Three (3) colored passport photos (white background)
Curriculum Vitae
Academic Documents (photo copies) where necessary
Recently issued Party membership card
Registration Fee:
Fifty Thousand Shillings (50,000/=) for LC III Councilors
One Hundred Thousand (100,000/=) for LC III Chairpersons
One Hundred Thousand (100,000/=) for LC V Councilors
Two Hundred Thousand (200,000/=) for LC V Chairpersons and Mayors
Two Hundred Thousand (200,000/=) for Members of Parliament
Applications and Payments are done at:
· LC III Councilors at the constituency branch
· LC III Chairpersons at the constituency branch (rural), at the District (City).
· LC V Councilors at the District branch
· LC V Chairpersons/Mayors at the District branch Members of parliament at the Headquarters/Secretariat
NB: All Party candidates who will have gone through party primaries shall enter an agreement with the party leadership binding them to a harmonized relationship which includes their conduct and contribution to the party.
Conclusion:
At completion of the election exercise, all respective delegates’ conferences are requested to compile and submit their results to the national organizing secretary’s office through their District, regional representatives and Regional vice presidents.
Throughout this exercise, members should be guided by the principle of truth and justice, and committed to the objective of providing to all Ugandans, a humane and truly democratic governance that will ensure domestic tranquility, peaceful progress as well as general welfare and liberty of the people of Uganda, their property and institutions, and electing leaders that will support all Ugandans struggling for self determination and freedom from oppression and suppression.
All electoral disputes shall be channeled through the relevant processes and organs as provided for under the Party constitution.
Wishing you a fruitful exercise.
For: Charles Musoke Sserunjogi
Organizing Secretary
0772436333, 0703058787

SUUBI 2011 NOW DISTANCES FROM IPC

In a twist of events, the Ex-Katikkiro, Joseph Mulwanyamuli Semogerere has distanced himself from the Inter-Party Coalition (IPC) reasoning that he is an individual who cannot be part of IPC which is a coalition of parties.
This follows reports that the coordinator of SSUUBI 2011 and former Buganda Kingdom junior minister for Information Medard Ssegona Lubega had also said that SSUUBI is not part of the IPC, a coalition of parties that seeks to present a joint presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections.
Mulwanyamuli the patron of SSUUBI 2011 who featured on an internet based radio in the UK, connectuganda.com, Sunday evening also said that SSUUBI 2011 a will not endorse any candidate in the forthcoming elections as earlier reported.
“There will be no SSUUBI candidate in the next elections but for us we shall support any candidate from any party as long as they support Buganda issues and change” said Mulwanyamuli. He dismissed as untrue reports that the pressure group will be producing a list of their desired candidates as earlier reported.
Mulwanyamuli regretted the fact that SSUUBI 2011 has created more confusion and division that unity which they had intended to work for.
Meanwhile DP’s Entebbe municipality MP Mohammed Kawuma who featured on the same show described SSUUBI 2011 as FDC project propagated by mostly DP MP’s opposed to leadership of Nobert Mao on the basis of his ethnicity.

Earlier on retired primate, Cardinal Emmanuel Wamala dismissed SSUUBI 2011 as a plot to engage the Kabaka into divisive politics in effect walking in the foot steps of the infamous 1961 Kabaka Yekka (KY) which marked the beggining of political violence in Uganda.

The Cardinal also criticised DP members opposed to Nobert Mao saying he was legally elected as the leader of the Democratic Party.Buganda Kingdom primier Eng. JB Walusimbi also came out to warn the pressure group against dragging the Kabaka's name in politics. Katikkiro said, SSUUBI members should explain themselves to the electorate without involving the Kabaka since they resigned their positions and have no right to speak for Mengo.Other statesmen that have spoken against SSUUBI 2011 included the former DP President General John Ssebaana Kizito and former Katikkiro Daniel Muliika.

WE NEED LASTING SOLUTION IN SOMALIA-DP

We need a lasting solution for Somalia
Tuesday, 20th July, 2010

Mwaka Lutukumoi
Uganda lost over 70 people and hundreds were wounded because of the Sunday, July 11, bomb attacks. The Democratic Party (DP) suggested that a national forum where all political leaders irrespective of affiliation, religious leaders and stakeholders who believe in a peaceful Uganda, can discuss this new security threat. The Somali people deserve respect for they also have rights and sovereignty. A section of the opposition voiced the need to remove Ugandan troops from Somalia; while the Government has promised to launch war on the al-Shabaab, it is important for us to remain united in these times and also learn lessons out of this tragedy. Since our troops are entangled in Somalia, it is civil and realistic for Uganda to rethink its strategy. In times of problems like these, we need to bury our political differences, swallow our pride and soberly come up with a uniting solution for the people of Somalia, Uganda and Africa. Other African countries should also send troops to Somalia, but through consultation. The war in Somalia and the pain of the people must be felt by all Africans and African countries must be part of the solution. Uganda must take the opportunity of the African Union to clearly demand that all African nations show commitment and send their troops to Somalia. It is absurd for Uganda to declare war on al-Shabaab alone. This is a global war that needs global strategy and an understanding of the context of the Somali conflict. A lesson we can learn as a global world, is that we need to work together with other countries in times of terror, this is what will ensure that the innocent populace is not at risk. We are caught between a rock and a hard place and no one should take advantage of this situation or else we shall perish together. The threats of terror are real and Uganda is not as equipped as the US or Europe to effectively fight the war on terror. This war is different from Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army. Terrorists usually belong to bigger networks and to diffuse terror, therefore, would mean dealing with a whole network across the world. We hope our security agencies will take precaution as they start their next plan of action. The writer is a DP spokesperson

DP Presidential Candidate Nobert Mao Visit USA Summer 2010 in Pictures

SUUBI 2011 CAN’T SPEAK FOR KABAKA- SAYS MENGO ATTORNEY GENERAL

Buganda Kingdom Attorney General Apollo Nelson Makubuya has said that SUUBI 2011, the pressure group recently formed by ex-Mengo ministers has no right to speak on behalf of the Kabaka and the Kingdom.

Makubuya who featured on a talk-show discussing Buganda and the 2011 elections on Connect Uganda (connectuganda.com), Sunday evening, a UK based internet radio was reacting to press reports in Bukedde Ku ssande quoting leaders of the pressure group who addressed a rally in Kabasanda and reportedly told people they will soon unveil a list of Parliamentary candidates that have been endorsed by the Kabaka.

This statement is reported to have prompted two veteran politicians, DP former President Sebaana Kizito, and Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, the leader of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to publicly warn Mengo against SUUBI 2011, reasoning that the group has a secret plan of dragging the Kabaka into partisan politics, an act that would kill the spirit of Buganda and unity among others.

Makubuya who said he had not read the story argued that ex-ministers resigned their positions at Mengo to be able to participate freely into partisan politics without any limitations. “They don’t have a right to speak for the Kabaka and if they did it, it was wrong” said Makubuya.

But he was quick to add, this could be the work of political opponents who are envious of SUUBI popularity and momentum it has gathered since its inception and could now have resorted to maligning the pressure group. “I have been following the progress of the group and I think they could have attracted criticisms because of their threat to already existing parties but argued listeners to give the group a chance and listen to their messages before dismissing and attacking it”. Said Makubuya.

“I know DP who has its political base in Buganda could be concerned but I will call Sebaana Kizito and assure him that there’s no plan to involve the Kabaka into partisan politics” Makubuya added. He also dismissed media reports that likened SUUBI to Kabaka Yekka (KY) of 1962 reasoning that SUUBI is not a political party but simply a pressure group.

He emphasised that SUUBI 2011 is meant to restore hope amongst Baganda through mobilisation and support of all people that espouse the interests of Buganda.
Asked why SUUBI is fronting Mengo ex-minister for Youth Mathias Mpuuga against a fellow Buganda activist, Masaka Municipality MP JB Kawanga , Makubuya who insisted that he’s Buganda’s Attorney General said, he could not answer for the group but referred the host Mike Mulambuzi to the group’s Coordinator and Mengo ex-deputy minister for Information, Medard Lubega Ssegona.

He said Mengo has no plans to evict Makerere University on its land as reported in the media but explained that part of the University land that was leased from Mengo have expired and its only fair to renew the lease since it’s a source for the Kingdom.

Former Katikkiros leading Mengo back to 1966 crisis

By Aisha Nankya
Posted Friday, June 11 2010 at 00:00
The news of the two former Buganda Katikkiros (premiers) Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere and Dan Muliika declaring their support for the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC), a loose grouping of some opposition parties planning to field a single presidential candidate next year, leaves a lot to be desired.
The move justifies the saying that history does not repeat itself but it’s the [people] that repeat history. Mengo has a habit of always coming in the way of the Democratic Party (DP), make alliances based on selfishness and impulse and later crying foul. Yet it is the DP that has aways stood with Mengo during the hard times.It was Mengo, for instance, who played a big role in blocking Ben Kiwanuka, a Muganda, from becoming Uganda’s Prime Minister simply because he was a Catholic. Today, they are standing in the way of Nobert Mao simply because he is a non-Muganda. What criteria did they use to choose the IPC to champion Buganda’s interests?
The two former Katikkiros who will obviously be representing Mengo interests in this move, admitted to being novices in politics. Secondly, they are offering blanket support on behalf of Buganda without even setting up principles or fully understanding the objectives of the individual political parties that comprise IPC. This is evidenced by Muliika’s appeal to the IPC to publish its manifesto, so they can know what they stand for. Can you imagine? This shows that they offered blanket support without even knowing what they are supporting. To quote DP president Nobert Mao, how can one enter a taxi without knowing its destination?
Mengo’s interests are permanent but how can one peg them on the removal of President Museveni? How can you put all your eggs in one basket? It is also surprising that the duo are both retired but have now come up to determine our destiny. Will they, for instance, appropriately accommodate the interest of the youth? Have they widely consulted and have they been endorsed to represented us? Can they tell us the difference between FDC’s Kizza Besigye, who has a high chance of becoming IPC flag bearer and President Museveni? How can you put Mengo and the Kabakaship on the line? Did they think of the other Kabaka’s subjects in the DP, NRM and other political parties? How can you alienate them? Where will Mengo run to if Besigye, whom the electorate has rejected twice, loses the third time?
Not long ago, Mulwanyamuli negotiated the Regional Tier that was to create an office of Katikkiro, by-passing Mengo. This was rejected by the Lukiiko of course but it is still on the table, waiting to be implemented. Muliika was later sacked as well for openly using the post of Katikkiro to campaign for FDC, among others. The two extremes coming together is suspect.
UPC’s Olara Otunnu is part of this cooperation but they strategically keep him away whenever they make appearances in Buganda. In effect the two former Katikkiro’s have not only allied with Besigye who has no political base in his home town Rukungiri and the entire western Uganda but with UPC as well, a party that abolished the kingdom and masterminded the killings in Luweero. How different is this move from the infamous UPC/KY alliance of 1966?
Mengo should strongly and clearly distance itself from the duo because they are putting all Baganda interests at stake. You can always ignore advice but cannot stop the consequences.Ms Nankya is a social worker in London, United Kingdom

Is Suubi 2011 any different from Kabaka Yekka (KY)?

By Aisha Nankya
Posted Thursday, July 1 2010 at 00:00

Former Buganda premier Joseph Mulwanyamuli and some former kingdom ministers have formed a political mobilisation group called Suubi 2011 to support what they termed a ‘highly desired change in next year’s general elections’. Democratic Party MPs Erias Lukwago (Kampala Central), Betty Nambooze(Mukono north) and Dr Lulume Bayiga (Buikwe South) who are opposed to Norbert Mao’s leadership in DP have now joined hands with Ssegona Lubega and Mathias Mpuuga to form the group. The group, according to its coordinator Sseggona, will partner with all bona fide and legitimate forces of change.
They also said they would identify candidates for every electoral position but in the meantime, will engage with the Inter-Party Cooperation to identify areas of common interest. For starters, some members of this group are the same people who made all efforts but in vain to frustrate the renewal of DP leadership.
After being defeated in both Mbale and court, these people started panicking by scheming to deny Mao the Buganda votes which they claim to be in charge. The first move was to involve the two ex-Katikkiro’s who announced their support for Col. Kizza Besigye under IPC. They also sought to invoke the powers of the Kabaka to excite the Baganda into voting for IPC who will likely be led by Besigye. Little did they know that the Baganda will judge them more on their record during their service at Mengo. Mulwanyamuli is for instance already battling with explaining why he had settled for Regional Tier yet Buganda wanted federo. How different is he from Besweri Mulondo?
If this group was genuine, why have they left out other Mengo ex-ministers like NRM’s George Nsamba Kumama, Abdul Nadduli and independent JC Muyingo? How different is their group from Beti Kamya’s Uganda Federal Alliance and where does this leave her? What is annoying is that these people claim to be sacrificing for Buganda yet in the actual sense they are looking for jobs in Parliament. How much of their parliamentary salary have they offered to Mengo despite having gained entry by riding on Mengo’s back? Where do they get the mandate to speak for Buganda?
This group looks at the Baganda as passive participants in the 2011 elections which is reminiscent of the infamous Kabaka Yekka (KY) of 1962. They purport to think for the entire region and are in effect in fear of the people’s verdict. Serving at Mengo is not a guarantee that you love Buganda more but if they meant to sacrifice, they wouldn’t seek for higher pay in Parliament and leave the voluntary service at Mengo. In the spirit of building democracy as opposed to individualism, these people would push through their desired policies in their respective parties because the elections are going to be held under a multi-party system of governance.
Just like IPC, Suubi 2011 or Mengo is not going to appear anywhere on the ballot. Its either the registered parties or independent candidates. Mengo should once again distance itself from this group because the kingdom is for all of us. The Kabaka’s subjects are in all traditional and new parties and should not be alienated. Mengo has a duty to insulate our Kabaka from such politicians and above all, the whole 800 year-old kingdom cannot afford to fall with Suubi 2011 which is FDC/IPC in disguise when they lose elections. Long live Ssabassajja Kabaka, Long live Buganda.
Ms Nankya is a social worker based in London, UK
aisha_nankya@yahoo.com

DP IS FOR REAL CHANGE-DP CHAIRMAN

Written by Michael Mubangizi

DP National Chairman, MUHAMMED BASWALI KEZAALA, recently presided over his party’s national council meeting that upheld an earlier decision of the National Executive Committee not to join the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC) that plans to field a joint candidate against the incumbent, NRM’s Yoweri Museveni. The decision prompted some members of Uganda’s oldest party to join IPC as individuals. MICHAEL MUBANGIZI spoke to him about this and other developments in the party.
Any gains since you assumed the DP leadership early this year?
We have registered tremendous achievements. For the past many years, the party wasn’t recruiting members [and] if it did, it was acting as a nursery bed—recruiting members and passing them over to other political parties.Since the party’s national delegates’ conference in Mbale, we have been able to recruit and retain members. Prior to our coming into office, DP operated from the party headquarters [in Kampala] where leaders addressed press conferences or had street battles with Police. We have [now] taken the party to the grassroots.We have been to Gulu, Jinja and parts of central Uganda. Our president is out of the country [now], but when he comes back, he will embark on a northern Uganda tour while I traverse eastern Uganda. We have also set up a team which will remain on the ground in central Uganda.We now have an amiable DP leadership of energetic people born after independence, which appeals to the populace.Previously, the international community looked at NRM and FDC as the only political establishments in Uganda. As we talk, DP is once again a factor to reckon with in Ugandan politics.
When you say that DP acted as a nursery for other parties and issued press releases, is that a vote of no confidence against past leaders?
No. But I think it was a wrong approach. Secondly, some of them weren’t given the opportunity to prove their worth. John Ssebaana Kizito (immediate past president general) had the will to rejuvenate DP, but we gave him a wrong team. Some of our colleagues started leadership wrangles from day one, creating a big division in his executive.
The current executive has also been dogged by wrangles from the start.
We are trying to handle the situation. We have sent messages to our colleagues who don’t seem to agree with our leadership, that the door is open. We are engaging them in quiet talks. A team of our elders had been set up to reconcile us but I don’t think it has done a good job, and now we have decided to take it upon ourselves to make personal contacts, showing them the need for a united DP.We are registering positive results. However, the door will not remain open for ever, because we need to work. We shall not be sitting in reconciliation rooms all the time.
You are applying a divide and rule policy by approaching individuals.
We are not talking to individuals per se. They are not very many people by the way; they are just a few people with dissenting views. But whether they are the minority, they still matter to DP. The other day, I had a lengthy telephone discussion with Erias Lukwago (MP Kampala Central) and we agreed to sit and talk. The party President General has reached out to Betty Nambooze and the former National Chairman, Prof. Joseph Mukiibi, on a number of occasions.
Your group stifled earlier talks by ignoring Prof. Ssempebwa, Paul Semogerere and Cardinal Wamala’s advice not to go ahead with the Mbale conference.
We didn’t ignore their advice, but the High Court made a pronouncement that the delegates’ conference could go ahead. So, we went to Mbale within the confines of the law.
Some of your members have gone against the party decision and joined IPC, and this appears to widen the rift in the party. I think that is indiscipline of the highest degree on the part of DP members and IPC. The IPC protocol talks about political parties not individuals. Even by definition, it is inter-party cooperation, not inter-individual or personality cooperation. It is not good for IPC to start reaching out to our dissenting members. Those who join IPC individually are just looking for their selfish interests. If an individual starts running faster that the political party which has built them, then for us it starts raising question marks. But DP is not a lawless organisation; we shall have to institute disciplinary action against [such] party members.
That could ruin the reconciliation efforts.
When you discipline your kid at home, it doesn’t mean that you don’t like him. It is just for purposes of reforming that kid.
Those DP members who have joined IPC say that a united opposition is good because had it not been for IPC, Betty Nambooze wouldn’t have won the Mukono North by-election in May.
Nambooze is the best person to explain to the whole country what took place in Mukono. Nambooze as an individual had special support. Her position on issues of [Buganda] plus the recent developments in Buganda worked in her favour.
Nambooze says IPC and Mengo helped her win. Norbert Mao promised her money which he didn’t deliver.
I wouldn’t want to discuss those funny things in the press. If you are good family members, how can you start discussing how a family member promised money and didn’t give it?When Norbert Mao promised Nambooze money, did he call a press conference?I am sure that out of the money Mao pledged, he sent campaign posters to Betty Nambooze; did she mention that? Mao could have pledged Shs 50 million and failed to raise it and gave her Shs 5 million; she should appreciate. So, whatever Mao sent her was out of his personal pocket. DP neither has external nor internal funding. Even members buying membership cards, is still a problem. I was out of the country when she made the remarks but when I came back, I heard people talk about how she said that some of us who went to her campaigns weren’t wishing her well, yet we left our constituencies to give her support. And I know other people who contributed [to her campaign], however small. I wouldn’t want to talk about myself, but maybe I contributed. Nobody stopped other parties from fielding candidates, but even if they did, Nambooze would still have won.
Your Party President is obsessed with attacking IPC instead of telling us his plans for the country.Maybe you haven’t attended his rallies. I have heard him talk about the economy, CBS, the Kasubi Tombs, Buganda’s ebyaffe, the so-called investors who sell groundnuts, and the cooperative and labour movements.Of course it is inevitable for him to mention something about the IPC. When you throw a stone at me, knowing that I have capacity to throw it back, you don’t just expect me to say, thank you.
Some people say that by rejecting IPC, DP appears not to mind more years of NRM in power?

People who are making those statements are the very people who brought Museveni to power, kept him in power and suffocated political parties for long. They are responsible for the weak opposition parties that we have in this country.From day one, DP wanted a multiparty [system] but then they [introduced] a one-party state. So, before they start accusing us, they should first apologise to the populace. I have never had them apologise; they are simply regretting, which is not enough.Of course causing regime change is one of the aspirations of DP, but what are our long-term aspirations? When DP was formed in 1954, there was a lot of nepotism and segregation in the country. Certain sections of society didn’t have the opportunity to get good jobs, go to school. DP was started for those reasons, among others. So, by joining IPC, will we be addressing them? We shall just be causing a regime change without addressing these issues.It happened in 1962 when KY allied with UPC to fail DP from assuming power, but one year later, they fell apart. It is also possible to come together to cause a regime change and one year later you fall apart.
So as DP you would rather have NRM in power as you build your party?
This regime is going. It cannot go beyond 2011, but we must approach it in a coordinated manner.

The DP stand is that we cooperate with IPC in parliamentary and local council elections, but when it comes to presidential elections, each party should field its own candidate.
If you detest IPC, why do you partially work with it?
It is not that we detest IPC. We are just disagreeing on the modus operandi. Our plan is that we should tackle Museveni using a multi-pronged approach. There is no presidential candidate in this country whose popularity cuts across the country, not even President Museveni.Mao has support somewhere and so do Col. Besigye and Olara Otunnu. Let us all present these presidential candidates and let each candidate traverse the whole country but putting emphasis in their areas of strength. If Mao and Besigye are strong in northern and western Uganda respectively, they should put more emphasis there. And then finally we come to Buganda and Busoga and it becomes the mother of battles with President Museveni, but having weakened him in other areas.
Can’t that be done under the IPC?
By the way, there is a law which has been enacted under the recent electoral reforms which says that where two candidates run for one office and one of them gets a problem, he/she is disqualified by courts of law and the Electoral Commission would declare the remaining candidate winner unopposed.Consider a scenario where, say, we have two candidates; Museveni and Mao or Besigye. And with the machinations of the NRM regime, something happened to that person.

Do you think President Museveni will be ashamed of going to Kololo to be sworn in as President of Uganda?
With former Buganda Katikkiros joining IPC, DP might see its support in Baganda wiped out.
We are still strong and we shall remain strong in Buganda. I don’t know whether the two former Katikkiros joined IPC. I looked at the invitation letters for the meeting at Pope Paul and they were actually FDC invitation letters. So we are still asking ourselves, did they join FDC or IPC? But that said, it is not the right move for Buganda, especially the Mengo establishment, because it risks dividing the Kabaka’s subjects. The correct approach for Mengo would be getting leaders in different political parties who will be able to advocate for Buganda’s aspirations.
Last word.I know that Ugandans are yearning for change, but that change should be approached in a coordinated manner. Our brothers in IPC are our partners in the struggle. Very soon, the DP leadership will meet the IPC leadership and we present them our position, and I am sure they will understand us. If IPC is for change, DP is also for change, we shall have the same message for change, although not attending the same rallies.

mcmubs@obsever.ug

ARRESTS MADE ON 7/11 KAMPALA BOMB ATTACKS: MAO SPEAKS OUT

By Sudarsan RaghavanTuesday, July 13, 2010; 7:30 PM
KAMPALA, UGANDA -- Police have made several arrests in connection with the twin bombings Sunday that killed 76 people watching the World Cup final, Ugandan officials said Tuesday. Investigators also unearthed an unexploded suicide vest in a disco, suggesting that the Somali militants believed to be responsible for Sunday's deadly attacks had planned to bomb a third venue.
The vest contained lines of ball bearings, similar to material found after the bombings at an Ethiopian restaurant and a rugby club, which occurred as hundreds of boisterous fans were watching the championship match between Spain and the Netherlands, police officials said. The discovery of the vest led investigators to believe that the explosions here were carried out by suicide bombers and that the attacks were orchestrated.
"What we found here is consistent with what we found on both scenes of crime. And so this is a very significant lead in our investigation," Kale Kayihura, Uganda's inspector general of police, told reporters.
The tan vest, along with a white packet of explosives, a black carrying bag and detonator wires, were displayed on a table in front of him. Kayihura said the discovery of the vest suggested that there was a third bomber involved in the plot who had planned to attack the disco, but had become "a coward" and did not detonate his explosives.
Kayihura did not provide the number of those arrested, but hinted that at least two were of Somali origin. He also raised the death toll from Sunday's explosions from 74 to 76. An American was killed, and a teenaged girl from Ellicott City, Md. was among several U.S. citizens who were wounded.
Somalia's al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militia claimed responsibility for the explosions, saying they were in retaliation for the presence in Somalia of Ugandan and Burundian troops who form an African Union peacekeeping force that backs Somalia's weak transitional government. It was al-Shabab's first major transnational attack, triggering fears that Somalia's civil war could destabilize a region where Islamic militancy is growing.

Al-Shabab has vowed to wage more attacks on Uganda, as well as Burundi, if they do not withdraw their troops from Somalia. Ugandan military officials have declared they would not pull out of the peacekeeping force, and instead would bolster their efforts against al-Shabab.
In the wake of Sunday's attacks, however, opposition politicians are urging President Yoweri Museveni to withdraw the troops from Somalia.
"This is a wake-up call for Uganda to realize that what our military does abroad has consequences at home," said Norbert Mao, president of Uganda's Democratic Party. Mao, who plans to run for the presidency of Uganda in the 2011 general elections, said other African countries are not contributing enough to the peacekeeping force.
"If everybody does not pull their true weight, there's no reason for us to get stuck in Somalia in a quagmire," Mao said.
Senior Obama administration officials said Tuesday that they had increased their focus on al-Shabab, particularly given its affiliation with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and they raised the possibility that the group had ambitions to attack within the United States. U.S. authorities did not have any advanced warning of the attack, they said.
Staff writer Anne E. Kornblut in Washington contributed to this report.

OPPOSITION WORRIED OF UPDF'S INVOLVEMENT IN SOMALIA

By Moses Mulondo

OPPOSITION political leaders have expressed worry over Uganda’s continued involvement in Somalia following Sunday bomb blasts that left about 70 people dead. Police boss Kale Kayihura suspected Al Shabaab militants from Somalia to be behind the bomb attacks. The militants later in the day confirmed they carried out the attacks. The Democratic Party (DP) president, Norbert Mao, yesterday called for a national forum bringing together all political leaders, regardless of their affiliation, to discuss the way forward on this new security threat. “This is a tragic incident, not only to the friends and relatives of the victims, but to all of us Ugandans. We cannot rule out its link to the presence of our troops in Somalia. As political leaders, we need to forget our political differences and get together to discuss the solution,” Mao said. He extended condolences to the family members and friends of the people who were affected by the blasts. Addressing journalists yesterday, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) spokesman, Boniface Toterebuka, said: “As FDC, we protested the idea of taking our troops to Somalia. We kindly ask the Government to withdraw our forces because we are not stakeholders in whatever is happening. The people of Somalia can solve their problems through dialogue,” Toterebuka said. The People’s Development Party (PDP) leader Dr. Abed Bwanika said taking guns to Somalia will not solve the crisis. “The solution to political problems is adherence to the concerns of all the parties involved. That is why many of us keep advising government if they wanted to help the people of Somalia they should bring all the warring parties into dialogue to resolve their differences amicably,” Bwanika argued. Bwanika also advised the Government to adhere to the concerns of the various Ugandans to avoid a repeat of insurgencies. “What if these blasts have been caused by rebels? There are many Ugandans whose freedoms have been suppressed and if their concerns are not adhered to, we can end up going back to the dark days of insurgencies,” he said. The Uganda Peoples Congress secretary general, Fred Bbosa, asked the Government to be on alert and to put a special fund for treating Ugandans in such occurrences. “The reports we have received from Mulago are that they don’t have beds for some of the injured people and many other facilities are missing. Why should the Government continuously spend much money on the presidency more than what is spent on the national hospitals?” Bbosa wondered. The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) chairman, Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, said: “It’s unfortunate. As a parent, I am shocked because my son Bebe Cool narrowly died because he was in one of those places where the explosions took place. “The Government should leave no stone unturned in investigating the perpetrators of this tragedy.”

POLICE FIRES TEAR GAS AT DP RALLY

Democratic Party (DP) rally in Kamwokya, a Kampala city suburb, was supposed to start at 2 pm but the party President, Norbert Mao arrived at 5pm.
He and other party top officials spent the three hours in between huddled in talks with the area police over permission to hold the rally.
The talks failed. And Mao decided, against police advice, to go ahead with the rally. At exactly 5 pm Mao arrived at the rally venue, an open ground adjacent to the Kamwokya area market. He was decked out in a dark suit, white shirts and tie in the green-on-white party colours with his wife, Naome, in tow. She was dressed in beautiful gomesi wrapper also in party colours.
Both were tense as they stepped onto the dias and Mao started his address: “You know I am a lawyer,” he started, “and according to the constitution of Uganda, the Police do not have a right to stop us from staging a rally especially when we have informed them. “Today we are therefore going to decide whether were are going to have peace or disorder.”
No sooner had he uttered these words than gunshots rang out followed by the fumes and the sting of teargas. The rally crowd fled for dear life. A crowd jumped to protect Mao from the menacing police. Business at Kamwokya ground came to a halt for about one hour.
In the ensuing melee, the dispersed rally crowd hurled stones at the police who shot back with live bullets and teargas. No reports of deaths and injury by the time of this report. However, one man was arrested and suffered the wrath of over 10 police men who pounced on, hit and hit him again from all directions with batons and gun buts before bundling him onto the one of their pick-up trucks and driving off to the nearby Kira Road Police station.
Police officers at the Kamwokya said the DP rally was illegal because the organisers had not notified the inspector general of police.
“Whether you wrote or not cannot be confirmed since you do not have a letter from the IGP, we cannot allow you to use a public address system” said Alex Asiimwe, the DPC of Kira Road Police Station, before the shooting and the teargassing started.
DP Organising Secretary Serungogi Charles, who is an aspirant for the Kampala mayor post, MP Sebuliba Mutumba (DP, Kawempe South) and other officials pleaded with police officials in vain.
The DP supporters were angry that a meeting by the Secretary General of the ruling party NRM, Amama Mbabazi, had gone on unimpeded.
“Why didn’t they provide security to Amama Mbabazi who was having a meeting at KCC primary school, I was there and there was no police,” complained Andrew Kagwa, a DP supporter at the scuttled rally. He blamed the police attack on government double standards.
The area councilor confirmed that NRM was having a meeting in the neighborhood.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY DOESN'T OWN THE NEW "KIBOOKO SQUAD"

By Mwaka E. Lutukumoi

In the political theatre of Uganda, this week came a new group of people calling themselves Democratic Party (DP) militias set to counter the notorious Kiboko Squad that has been seen working alongside the Uganda Police Force, whipping opposition politicians.
DP, since it’s formation, has embraced the core values of truth and justice, peace and security, democracy and good governance. While it was fought out of power in 1962 by the alliance between UPC and Kabaka Yekka, later losing power to UPC that stole the elections in 1980, DP did not resort to arms. DP is a party that believes in building democracy that works.
In 2005, after the NRM obnoxiously used the bad laws they set against parties, the infamous Article 269 of the Constitution, DP didn’t go to the bushes to fight but decided to take it to the courts of law. Two wrongs never make a right so forming militia groups to counter the Kiboko Squad is counterproductive. However, it must be noted that the Museveni regime has given birth to radical groups in the country. The Uganda Young Democrats initially had the Youth Brigade that was a rather militant set up. However, on assuming party leadership, Norbert Mao has banned all militant groups within DP. Mao and DP believe in a progressive and productive change that will bring strong national cohesion. Uganda has had violent conflicts over the years and it is DP’s belief that everything must be done to avoid more bloodshed.
Chaos in Uganda is not a new thing; each time a peaceful revolution is denied, there are usually signs and symptoms of a violent one. As we head to the 2011 general elections, all indications are that violence will increase given the recent events of the Kiboko Squad causing mayhem in Kampala. The police must not be blind to these injustices. They should not remain neutral between law and disorder as they appear to be. The police are quoted saying “we shall start with them” (in response to the new ‘Kiboko group’) yet they have shamelessly participated in dehumanising opposition alongside the Kiboko lumpens whose leaders are known but police has not arrested them to date.
Why start with the new group? Both Kiboko Squad and the new squad are illegal so logically both groups must be contained, not one! This exposes the dishonesty in our Force. Political parties must realise that by acting like NRM and doing what the party does, we are indirectly promoting dictatorship in this country. By government, or any other party including DP, condoning militia groups, we are accepting our moral and intellectual bankruptcy.
DP will never condone this and will take serious measures on its supporters and or any other member who dreams of militarism. We are fighting the same and we can’t afford becoming like that proverbial man whose clothes were taken away by a mad man as he was showering; on realising, he ran after the mad man naked grabbing his clothes.We need a united and reasonable Uganda.
Mr Lutukumoi is the Democratic Party’s national spokesperson

2011 ELECTIONS: AN OPPORTUNITY TO KICK OUT MILITARISM IN UGANDA POLITICS

By Enock Mayanja Kiyaga

The picture of President Yoweri Museveni arriving in the Eastern district of Bududa to view the damage caused by the landslides last week donning a full military uniform, an AK-47 assault rifle strapped over his shoulder has attracted a lot of debate both in the media and blogsphere. Some commentators who are cynical have even gone ahead to ask which war the President was fighting. In addition some have wondered whether his show off did not scare the already traumatised people.

Why he had to fly to Bududa in military uniform despite all the security detail at his disposal will always remain a matter of debate and speculation but one thing that can’t be doubted is how the President has succeeded and continues to use the military to institute fear amongst Ugandans upon which he has been able to rule for quarter a decade now without much challenge.

In this regard, some people have already linked the recent elevation of the first son in the army as another scheme by president Museveni to have his son succeed him through the army. Since 2000 Muhoozi, 35, has attended high profile military courses in America and the United Kingdom and quickly climbed the ranks although records of him as a distinguished soldier are hard to come by.

This also reminded me of the year 2000, in the face of an impending court martial for authoring a document that critiqued the movement; the retired Col. Dr. Kiiza Besigye announced his candidature to challenge president Museveni in the 2001 elections. This inevitably caused excitement all over based on the hope that President Museveni’s militaristic bullying could now be answered back in the same currency by a fellow soldier. Dr Besigye did not disappoint either. During the campaign trail, he re-assured the supporters that he’s the only solution to vote rigging. “Just cast the vote in my favour and leave the rest to me” he asserted. The rest is now history.

The above scenarios clearly show how the ruling NRM and the main opposition party FDC believe in applying a militarist approach to solving Uganda’s political problems which I think is dangerous. Much as the military have a role to play in protecting the country’s boundaries and protecting the will of the people, it should never interfere in politics as it has always been since 1966. Surely, the military contribution to politics is not useful politically because their mind is not political and they are in most cases not open to dialogue. Militarism is synonymous with use of force and violence.

Uganda is still one of the few countries that have never witnessed a peaceful handover of power. This has been largely attributed to the act of entrenching militarism in our politics right from Obote 1. But the aspect of militarism that has been entrenched in the minds of Ugandans to the extent of losing hope and coming believe that Uganda can only be ruled by a military man or someone with a background in the military is most worrying.

This repugnant thinking has not spared many senior government officials who are secretly encouraging their children to join the army as a way of grooming them to be future Ugandan leaders. This is absurd.

To make matters worse, the main opposition party FDC which is supposed to provide alternative policies and view points is practically reinforcing this dangerous attitude by making the top leadership position in the party a preserve of people with a military background. Is it by coincidence that, on two occasions now, it is Major General Mugisha Muntu squaring off with Col. Kiiza Besigye for the party’s top most position?

What happened sometime back, when the eloquent Aswa County MP, Reagan expressed interest in the same position? Dr. Besigye was quick to dismiss him as unfit despite his experience in parliament since 1996. Asked who he thought would suit in his shoes, Besigye suggested Col. Nuwe Amanya Mushega , another soldier who had by then even not publicly associated himself FDC . This speaks volumes about the FDC’s agenda to continue entrenching militarism in our politics despite strides made by other developing countries to overcome it.

The military myth

But one wonders whether Uganda or any other country for that matter needs a leader with a military background. Should people who aspire to be leaders attend military academies as a pre-condition? How has Dr. Kiiza Besigye’s militaristic skills been of value to Ugandans his involvement in elective politics 10 years ago?

When his votes were rigged in 2001 and 2006, despite his claim that he enjoyed over 90% support in the army, Dr. Besigye did not fight as expected but Instead, he went to the court just like the Semwogereres would do. Surely, did we need a soldier to do that?


The leader of the world’s most powerful nation, America, which also doubles as the oldest democracy did not attend any military academy; neither did the leader of the largest democracy India or any other of the developed world.

Once can say that is the West, but what about Africa? Nigeria which was under military dictatorship for close to 30 years provides the best example. Despite the fact that the military also doubled as the most highly educated personnel, eventually the power of reason prevailed and they handed over the power to civilians when General AbduSalaam Abubaker saw light and decided to hand over power to the civilian government immediately after Abacha’s demise. Since then Nigeria has moved on to full brown civilian rule. Ghana, which is now the icon of democracy in Africa, has also undergone the same experience with General Jerry Rawlings ruling for up to 20 years but eventually hands over power to civilians and the country has never looked back since then.

The era of using might as opposed to reason has since gone. Ugandans aspiring to be our leaders should cease to scramble for places in military academies but should instead target courses like law, politics, economics and others that are beneficial to the well being of Ugandans. The military, whose purpose is to defend citizens from organised violence, has often been used to perpetrate it. Governments are not there to command their citizens but to serve them. The military is supposed to be subordinate to civilian authority. Ugandans are not cattle to be herded. The problem of Uganda has largely been caused by the involvement of militarism is our politics. In effect, FDC and NRM are part of the problem and therefore cannot be part of the solution. As we approach 2011, Ugandans should vote for a civilian president. That is the only way the country shall be set on course to witness the long awaited historic peaceful hand over of power