TDA picked the Joint Presidential Candidate and now changes are coming!

AmamaNRMElection2016

Amama Mbabazi of the Go-Forward Ticket became the Joint Presidential Candidate in the coalition of TDA. As a lightning strike it’s has had an effect on the parties and candidates.

Instead of bring unity and strength as I and other people hoped the retaliation and movement of the parties has shambled the idea of a strong coalition against the NRM and the Mzee, head of state and long-time ruler.

First the UPC Mr. Jimmy Akena took down the UPC flag at the compound of the TDA. Olara Otunnu said the party where in the spirit and taking down the flag wouldn’t make a difference. As Akena has also denounced the Amama Mbabazi and make even the UPC camps go against each other.

Secondly the FDC has pulled their Flag-Bearer and leader Dr. Kizza Besigye after the decision to pick the other leader after a long wait for the stalemate in the coalition.

TDA Logo

The main issue is that UFA, DP, PPP and UPC in general are following the picked candidate though that some of the parties have issues. Norbert Mao of the DP is following and supporting the candidature, the same with Gilbert Bukenya. Gilbert Bukenya while still go on his own independent candidature instead of being a part of the TDA. DP will follow Amama Mbabazi and hope to regain a bigger crowd with loyalty to the coalition.

FDC is big and biggest party except for the NRM. Mugisha Muntu and Dr. Kizza Besigye got big crowds and support in the land. Also a loyal staff and a hardworking party, that has run campaign for a long while on their own. So that Dr. Kizza Besigye has send in again his own nomination form to the Electoral Commission and standing with his party shouldn’t be seen as strange move after being snubbed by the TDA.

Though this makes a lot of the wishes and makes the opposition a bit fractioned instead of a strong unity. With the movement in the UPC which also shows to faces after the recognition and placing the bets on Amama Mbabazi. This have now showed frictions and weakness in the strength of it all. It could be for seen that Amama Mbabazi had gone out of the TDA if he wasn’t picked as the leader and Joint Candidate for coalition. So that the FDC does the same shouldn’t be seen as a wrong move. It’s right for them! But it gives the opposition less strength into the 2016 election against the Mzee. It has now two fractions with different programs and even if they both work for getting NRM regime out of power.

Amama Mbabazi deflection from NRM and into independent candidate turned TDA has really made the coalition weaker in some ways. Especially losing the FDC and also making the UPC’s own issues to the surface. That he can bring more issues up from is if the DP will struggle with Norbert Mao after taking over from Paul Ssemogerere. And that JEEMA Asuman Basalirwa hasn’t made any noise! Jaberi Bidandi Ssali of the PPP has also been silent. Ken Lukyamuzi of the CP hasn’t said a word either.  Beti Kamya of UFA has not been anywhere worth mentioning more than seeing she is somewhere and maybe in recent days signed a paper.

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Now that the decision has been made and FDC has pulled their power move. Amama Mbabazi has made a coup in the opposition and gotten a prize of rising as a head of the rest against Dr. Kizza Besigye and Mzee. There are now three horses running for the Head of State. The ruling party and Mzee must enjoy this fraction instead of hearing of strengthen the unity toward NRM regime!

So if Gilbert Bukenya goes a single unit as well then it will be four people race for the Presidential Candidate, with three big men in the driving seat for the election in 2016. The NRM ticket, the Go-Forward/TDA Ticket and FDC ticket! Which is three swords with different edges into each other during the campaign while supposable being able to show power against the reigning power which seems a losing battle. With two pieces going against one big-man will be battle of noise instead of the unity that they could have been.

We could see something different and a positive note into the campaigning of the presidential election in 2016.

Instead we have now the same old instead a weak unit, FDC party with its own strength and the NRM party with the Mzee who use every tool in the book to keep his position in place and let everybody else scatter. Destroy and conquer is working its magic wand without pulling the string. He has pushed Amama Mbabazi out of the NRM and used him as pawn in the opposition that he could never achieve himself. Because his actions could bring the opposition could bring them back together, but the question if the FDC see the legitimacy of Joint Presidential Candidate who is not from their party. This is a slap in the face of those who trust in the Go-Forward ticket as the main ones of the rest of the opposition who is a part of the coalition!

The only winner of this tale now is the ruling leader. Mzee has yet again a fragmented opposition and not a collected force against his reign. His Excellency can smile wherever he is and know that Amama Mbabazi and Dr. Kizza Besigye will go against him, also each other so he can steal the whole dime and leave scraps for the rest as always. Because like Joseph Stalin said: “it’s not the ones that cast the ballots, but those that count them that matter”, I know I am paraphrasing the quote. Still the meaning is there and we know the Electoral Commission and its track record in the sense of how it pleases the NRM regime.

The now TDA Joint Candidate will have a mountain to climb in the new landscape he is in. He has always been a NRM candidate and lived in the shadow of his master. Now he is alone in the wilderness, but has support of many minor parties so he can say he is not totally alone. The biggest fellow supporting his candidacy in TDA is DP and Norbert Mao. Who would not have grasp or ability to reach in the Uganda! That is something that the TDA parties have recognized. So that it would be late comer Amama Mbabazi or Dr. Kizza Besigye was natural. Gilbert Bukenya couldn’t also have the reach of the two main candidates. This has beaten the opposition into a weird shape instead of strong unity, me and other people wished. So they could have moral and ethical leader to be something else then Mzee. Instead we have three parts rally for the Head of State and beat the NRM regime.

So know the People’s President will still be the man the integrity, but not with the support of all the other parties, though parts of the UPC wanted him as chief of the TDA it seems. Jimmy Akena has already tried to split the UPC so that Olara Otunnu would lose his margin in the party; instead it shows the fractions there.

This all leads weakness of the opposition… and the crater of the FDC are now showing what is left behind. FDC created a real vacuum and should be worry for Amama Mbabazi Go-Forward ticket. As the race against Mzee can they now be seen as a soft teams instead of a having combative strength together. Mzee can smile and relax a bit. The cracks in the TDA might happen even further if Gilbert Bukenya will branch out himself on a later stage. If the UPC continues to struggle with themselves and if they following the words of the Jimmy Akena or Olara Otunnu!

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Mzee! Mzee will have a field day after today. The TDA has lost a piece of it integrity and edge as the FDC deflects and the stages of the UPC and other parties place will further imbalance the opposition coalition and we can wonder if the TDA will be totally fragmented into the campaign of the 2016 Presidential elections. Peace.

Uganda – TDA is to be TBD!

TDA Logo

Today was the day the result of the Flag-Bearer for the coalition of the oppisisiton parties in Uganda. The Presidential Candidate of the TDA is supposed to go against the big shot, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his NRM party. The machine that also controls the Parliament and the Electoral Commission of the country!

So the candidate that is running against the machine and manufacture of the modern Uganda has to be strong. Have to viable, have a moral code and some integrity to pass on the marshes to corruptness in a political landscape where the parties and fellow politicians has been bought or brought into shambles. If you don’t follow the codes of ethics of the man with a vision you can be played out and lose your career in a hot minute. If you don’t follow his words and the main cronies of the nation then your left behind. If you try to be independent and thinking in the NRM party then you’re pushed to the side and clipped your wings. If the Mzee fears that you have ambitions to take his slot, then he will leave you behind as he has done to Hon. Gilbert Bukenya and Hon. Amama Mbabazi.

Four Men standing up for being the Joint Presidential Candidate in the TDA: 

So we are here today when many has followed this Ifs in different equations and with various formulas that ends in the result of losing out on their place in the ruling party. An makes you lost in the opposition. Certain people has gone out after finding the words of the Mzee to be going back on the principals they fought for their freedom in the Bush. This is the likes of certain FDC historical’s and the famous Flag-Bearer of the FDC Dr. Kizza Besigye. Who have been a pawn and a man who has gone for title and grand position election after election and lost after rigging and harassment!

The second man who also wants to be the Flag-Bearer in the TDA is Hon. Amama Mbabazi who has gone from being a loyalist to the Mzee and recently fallen from grace. Even tried in the preliminaries to go head to head and be the Presidential Candidate in the NRM. He sure lost that one to Mzee, not surprisingly; only one man’s vision can rule the NRM! So that the Mababazi is a runner for it was after signing the deal to be a part of the TDA only 12 days ago and independent candidate through the Go-Forward Ticket in the hierarchy of the coalition.

The third ones was Gilbert Bukenya as another former loyalist in the NRM regime that fallen from grace, but didn’t have the strength and support from others in the coalition therefore hasn’t been issue of his place. Still it proves that the fallen ones have a place and their knowledge can be used in a coalition to defeat the NRM and Mzee.

Last candidate was Norbert Mao who has had a viable position up North and been long in the politics. But still hasn’t the whole nation behind him. Especially with his bickering back and from acting as opposition candidate to speaking like he was a part of Mzee’s team. So that the parties didn’t see him as serious flag-bearer in the coalition wasn’t really a newsflash!

The other parties didn’t send their front men or woman to being Presidential Candidate. Like the CP, PPP, UPC and JEMA. That is Olara Otunnu of the UPC, Jaberi Bidandi Ssali of the PPP, Ken Lukyamuzi of the CP and Asuman Basalirwa of the JEEMA. Leaders who could easily gone forward and also filled the nomination form and justly so.

TDA Adress

So that it’s natural and would be worrying wouldn’t be issues between Amama Mbabazi of the Go-Forward Ticket and Dr. Kizza Besigye of the FDC Ticket. The issues will be on who is most fit. Then that the parties also vote differently on who they believe is most fit as the Press Statement from TDA told today. That certain parties went for the People’s President and the other went for the Go-Forward Ticket. It’s natural that people choose differently. Even if there is only one man with a vision – the Mzee! But he is not really the issue the here, only that the candidate as Flag-bearer has to beat the Mzee. Therefore the coalition can’t be fragmented and weaken since the approach as single units against the NRM ruling party hasn’t been fruitful before. Therefore this is the time to stay stronger together then weaken alone. Especially since that hasn’t worked before.

The NRM has the machine and power. That should be reason to stay united and prove the Mzee that they have an edge. Alone they will be disfranchised and played out. Some can be bought and run to show off so it seems as the country has a multi-party elections and democracy. The elections has been well-rigged and Electoral Commission has placed loyal men of the regime, with the same in courts that has verified the results in the past and given rulings in favor of the ruling party and the Mzee. While the world and nations accepting the rulings and not pressuring the regime to change ways.

With this in mind and with the knowledge both men has Dr. Kizza Besigye and Amama Mbabazi has together with the supposable strength of the opposition parties and the protocol of the TDA to prove guidance and integrity to the Presidential Election in Uganda this coming 2016 that the world has never seen before. That can they do if they have the courage and vitality take the pressure and malice from the NRM regime for a few more months. If so that person should step up and try. Not that there is great chances of succeeding as it looks today, but the opposition has to give it hard nudge in the right direction. As they want to show the citizens and public in Uganda that they want to rule for real as a coalition willing to change and rebuild. Make structures for more free and fair society not only for the cronies and nepotistic Movement Men that want to follow the words and monies from the Mzee. That is not an easy act to change when so many are eating of that plate, even if it is breadcrumbs their better than nothing. But they would be proud if they learned how to fish and catch it themselves and may be even earn enough to actual buy the bread fair and square.

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So that the TDA who has been for too long TBD: To Be Determined! Time to determine the place and actions as simple as the Joint Candidate for the TDA! And have a man who can rein this coalition and honor the codes and protocol, with diligence and fight through the coming election which will be full of struggles and not easy ride. If the run-up and months of preliminary meetings has proven anything, then this will be more arrests, more loss of personnel, some more people vanished, preventive arrests, teargassed meetings, sieged town where the oppositions has meetings and so on!

Please all men of TDA take a minute be wise. You all know you go up against and has tasted the bitter taste of being opposition against the NRM regime who will use all the tricks in the world to regain their rule and therefore the opposition got to show heart and prove that there are noble men in the land. Please show that and be different then Mzee who only cares for his coffers and his vision, and has forgotten the words he stood for long time ago. Which is a reason why so many people has deflected from the NRM and from Mzee. Peace.

Press Release: TDA Statement on Flag-Bearer as the Joint Presidential Candidate for the oppisistion(24.09.2015)

Mbabazi Besigye

The Summit of TDA has not arrived at a consensus on a TDA Joint Presidential Candidate.

The Summit has not been able to build consensus on either Rt Hon. Amama Mbabazi or Col (Rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye.

It is therefore clear that the membership of the Alliance will take different paths in respect to the matter of a presidential candidate.
CP and FDC have endorsed the candidature of Col (Rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye; while DP, Go-Forward Pro-Change, PPP, UFA, and UPC have endorsed the candidature of Rt Hon Amama Mbabazi.

JEEMA and PNU have not recorded their preference for Presidential Candidate. Their Presidents were not present in the Summit at the time of the decision.

The Summit of TDA will convene at an appropriate moment to consider the other aspects of TDA work, in respect to continuing to explore unity and cooperation in pursuing the goals and objectives of the Alliance.

The Proposed changes and added amendments on the Election laws that can be seen as preparation for the Election in 2016 in Uganda.

Fred Ruhindi

On the 25th September 2015 three amendments will be read for the parliament. These Amendments are the President Elections Amendment Bill of 2015, Parliamentary Elections Amendment Bill of 2015 and the Electoral Commission Amendment Bill of 2015. They are all interconnected and will be a part of the preparations to the election that is happening in 2016.  All the Amendments comes from the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Hon. Fredrick Ruhindi

The Main parts of the Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill of 2015:

Parts of the bill with revise the requirement for a candidate to campaign in every district in Uganda and to stop the polling stations at 4:00PM on the polling day. Another main part of the bill is that nominations fee for the candidate will go from Shs. 8Million/= to the the new fee of Shs. 20Million/=.

The first issue with the candidate is that with the surge of districts make it difficult for a candidate to be in all the new districts before the polling day while campaigning. The second one is for fitting the economic environment that is different than in 2005.  The third issue is that the polling time is set from 5:00PM to 4:00PM to give the Electoral Commission more time to count the votes.

And a new amendment to proof the voter’s identity:

“a fourth table located at least ten meters from the ballot boxes where every voter, after deposing the ballot paper into the ballot box, shall proceed and the thumb or other finger on the voter’s right hand determined by the commission marked with or applied with inedible ink as one indicators that the voter has cast the ballot”.

The Main parts of the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill of 2015:

First part of the bill is to get four representatives of persons with disabilities to be elected by Electoral Colleges Constituted in accordance to the four traditional districts: Central, Eastern, Northern and Western regions. The second part of the bill is on the nomination fee for the candidate will go from Shs. 200k/= to new fee of Shs. 1Million/=.

The Main parts of the Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill of 2015:

First part of new amendment is: “The commission shall, not later then two weeks before polling day, transmit to every political party and organization and independent candidate taking part in the election, an electronic text based copy of each voters’ register which the commission shall use on polling day”.

Second part is that the Commission has to employ one a District Election Administrator and an Assistant Election Administration. The District Election Administrator has the supervision, is in charge and custody of the voters’ in the district, and also seeing through the manner of the voters registers. Important character that the Administrator need is integrity, high moral and also “a person taken to have behaved in a corrupt manner in relation to his or her duties if he or she commits any act of dishonesty in connection with his or her duties, whether or not it constitutes a criminal offence”.

Third part is: “the Commission shall, before the display of the copy of the voters’ roll publish in the Gazette and in the print media, a list of all the places at which a voters’ roll is required to be displayed under this section”.

Aftermath:

The Presidential Candidate first gets more expensive to pay the nominee fee as a candidate it goes up Shs. 12Million from the 2005 to the total of Shs. 20Million and was at 2005 set to be Shs. 8Million. Everybody understands that’s a viable and big fee change and the argument is for the economic climate that has changed since 2005. If the value of the shilling has devalued that much in about ten year period that the candidate must pay over double of the fee, then the economic system has server issues.

The Second change is the time that is set from 5:00PM to 4:00PM on the polling station at the Election Day to give more time for counting. I am sure that this will be more of a statuary fix. The counting will have enormous ability to be manipulated after the votes are cast. The time set or fixed times is just an small tweak.

The third change in the Election laws are the thumb print that each voter has to get before casting the ballot. This will be sign of ink on the thumb proving that the voter has cast his or hers ballot. It’s a nice fix especially thinking about how the reports was a last election that people and military personal was bussed between voting stations to vote multiple times. With the ink on the finger it should be harder to dupe this one and the officials should easily see the print of ink on the thumb if a person tries to vote twice.

Fourth change is that a nomination fee for representatives for the disability goes up to Shs. 1Millon. There will also be four representatives one each representative from traditional districts: Central, Western, Northern and Eastern. This is in general a nice gesture to the community with applying that the Parliament gets people with special needs to the Parliament from now on.

Fifth change is that each political parties and independent should at least receive the voters register before two weeks before the polling day.  This is good thing to give them time to see the registers and check it. Might even give feedback to the Electoral Commission on shortfalls for the registration of voters in districts and municipalities that is necessary, though two weeks are little, if the registers are big who would have the capacity to oversee and scrutinize the register?

Sixth change is the additional new staff each district need. The new staff by the law is now District Election Administrator and Assistant Election Administrator who will look over the Polling and Election in the District. The person who will be hired has to have a moral compass, integrity and not act in a corrupt manner. All of the ones that are put into law are not exceptional this is what they should be as members of society and also professional people delivering and serving their nation and government so that the citizens can be sure of a valid result. A result and poll that is efficient and following procedure so that the tally can be justified and also being correct. Because if the Election Administrator doing their job and picking the right people, not letting the Electoral Commission having ability to trick the numbers or anybody else. Then the ballots and elections would be less rigged and actual have trustworthy people doing their jobs. If not, this is just a nice on paper and we still see the same issues in the Districts and clear the ballots for a free and fair election in 2016.

Seventh change is the publication in the Gazette or in print media. Where the Voters roll will be published, that is just a good thing. And proving to the public that the results getting official and can be explained. That should have already been there and is basic of official and public order, with this the Electoral Commission proves that it does it actual job in the election.

This all should be seen as interesting and see if this get voted in. If this gets official law it will have some effect on certain aspects on the coming election and the later by-elections as well. Since the signs of the public and local display will be visual with the thumb print and the District Electoral Administrator getting a vital role in procedures of the polling. Also the establishment of higher nomination fees for Presidential Candidates and also Special Disability representative which is total 4 representative one from each traditional regions. That is a great sign of all of the laws.

I don’t want to write for the third time what the laws says, but the issue is that it’s really patchwork and also quick fixes. If they will play big in the election is time to tell. And see if the next Commonwealth Report of 2016 will be as harsh as it was on Presidential Election in 2011. Peace.

Press Release: “ENGIE Rassembleurs d’Energies”, the ENIGIE Group intiative supporting sustainable energy access continues its work with its 13th investment, in support of PEG Ghana (22.09.2015)

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France24 Youtube clip: Military coup in Burkina Faso – ousted interim president Michel Kafando back in power

SC/12054-AFR/3212: Security Council Press Statement on Situation in Guinea-Bissau (21.09.2015)

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The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Vitaly I. Churkin (Russian Federation):

The members of the Security Council took note of the appointment on 17 September, of Mr. Carlos Correia, first Vice-President of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, the majority political party in the National Assembly, as Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau.  The members of the Security Council emphasized this as an important step towards bringing an end to the political crisis that has prevailed in the country since mid-August.  The members of the Security Council stressed the importance of the appointment of a new Government as soon as possible, and in full respect with constitutional procedures.

The members of the Security Council commended the respect for the Constitution and the rule of law demonstrated by the Bissau-Guinean actors, including the non-interference of the security forces in the political situation in the country and the restraint shown in this regard.  The members of the Security Council further commended the peaceful way Guinea-Bissau’s population is following the political situation in the country.

The members of the Security Council again recalled resolution 2203 (2015) and stressed the importance of national reconciliation, inclusive dialogue and good governance.  In this regard, they urged the Bissau-Guinean actors to uphold and proceed with continuous and constructive dialogue, within the established constitutional parameters and with respect for the separation of powers, in order to strengthen democratic governance and work towards consensus on key political issues, particularly with regards to the implementation of the necessary urgent reforms.

The members of the Security Council recalled the Council’s commitment to support the authorities of Guinea-Bissau and noted that the pledges made at the March Brussels International Donor Conference required a stable political environment in order to most effectively materialize.  The members of the Security Council further noted that courageous and inclusive political steps should be taken to help realize these pledged commitments, in the best interests of all Bissau-Guineans.

The members of the Security Council commended the coordinated approach and common messaging from regional and international actors, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union, the United Nations, the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries and the European Union throughout this period.  They further highlighted the efforts of Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal, Alpha Condé of the Republic of Guinea, and Olusegun Obasanjo, Special Envoy of President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, to facilitate dialogue in Guinea-Bissau.

The members of the Security Council also welcomed the decision taken by the Extraordinary Session of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Governments held in Dakar on 12 September 2015, to extend the ECOWAS Security Mission in Guinea-Bissau’s mandate until June 2016 and recalled the provisions of resolution 2203 (2015) in this regard.  In this respect, they commended the decision of the European Union to provide financial support to this Mission.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their full support for the key role and active engagement of Miguel Trovoada, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), including his good offices and close coordination with the international community.

Press Release: AfricInvest to exit its invesment in Alios Finance S.A. (21.09.2015)

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President Museveni is officially the NRM Flag-bearer (We already knew it in a way)

Museveni Odoi EC Flag Bearer P1

NRM Electoral Commission Chairman Tanga Odoi verifies aspirant Yoweri Museveni’s documents!

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President Museveni arrives in the company of First Lady Hon. Janet Museveni for nomination as NRM Presidential Flagbearer!

Museveni Odoi EC Flag Bearer P3

“NRM is the only party that does not plead with any one when fighting corruption. It is therefore only NRM that has got the capacity to end corruption” – H.E Yoweri Museveni

Afterthought

Really? The only one? Interesting thing to say… What about UNRA and all the other recent stories? But good luck with your continuation of fear campaign until the 2016 election! We all knew you would run again and run the party a little more with you first lady. We all will know you was running! Nobody was like – did he? Did he? No! So welcome to yet another term. We sure has a feeling you will rigg this especially with the reports of UPDF guys put into the Electoral Commission! Peace.

NRM EC