The Shadow Cabinet in the 10th Parliament… why we shouldn’t pay it no-mind; it’s a tool for legitimacy of Mzee and nothing else!

Let me be brutal and clear, as the FDC Presidential Candidate that at some point the day before the officiating of President Museveni on the 12^th May 2016, while Dr. Kizza Besigye we’re sworn-in on the 11^th May 2016. With that in mind, he has committed treason while certain Forum for Democratic Change is playing Democracy in the Parliament of Uganda.

It’s like the Community Colleges and Students are playing the United Nation Security Council to clear out the problems of the world and fixing the issues, the same is the value of the Shadow Cabinet in the 10^th Parliament of Uganda. When you have a gun-wielding, opposition detaining, arresting and detaining soldiers and leaders of the army, while also attacking Rwenzori Sub-Region to retake and pursuit the loyalty to towards the central leadership and President of the nation; that is all done to control the nation, and when you have those activities happening daily and constantly, than the value of a shadow cabinet is pointless.

I hate to say that, as Hon. Winnie Kiiza and Hon. Ibrahim Nganda Ssemujju are only useful for President Museveni and not really for themselves. If they we’re useful the up-and-coming not to talk about ambitions Hon. Nathan-Nandala Mafabi would have stepped up to the plate this time as well, but after he have played second fiddle in last term and tenure in Parliament; he knew that those who are in the Shadow is playing a ghost-goose hunt into the wilderness.

Why I don’t care about the men and woman picked? That Winnie Kiiza had reasons for not appointing Uganda People’s Congress members, as they are surely in cahoots and embedded with the National Resistance Movement with their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) together with the loyalist appointments from Mzee towards the Hon. Jimmy Akena pact. So if Kiiza thought she had got cards in the trade, she dust and hot air, while the ones filling in papers with the NRM-UPC pact would have a initial pay-day where they together are looting the Bank of Uganda, while they leave scrapped shillings to the ones in the Shadow.

I have nothing against the Hon. Kiiza or Hon. Nganda Ssemujju, but their role is only feeding the ego and arrogance of President Museveni, and they are supposed to be loyal towards the man in Luzira, that what hurts, that the FDC NEC and FDC-Party went for the Shadow Cabinet and doing this while the sizeable cabinet of 81 Ministers! Those 81 Ministers are supposed to follow by their shadows with checks and balance of their record. While that might be Nobel task and usefully a task of opposition, at this point there are so much to stagger the dominion of FDC.

The FDC, The FDC NEC and the FDC Party in general should be more focused on getting their party in line and continue to work for the audit of the General Election of 2016, get in line with securing the popular campaign together with Dr. Kizza Besigye, as he held together with FDC Activists nationwide during the Campaign Trail of 2015 and 2016. That shouldn’t be forgotten and the reason for the Mzee to ban the different media-houses for their treatment during the Campaign. That was because of the traction and real opinion during the Campaign that the NRM Regime have done by all means to silence with detaining, harassing, conspiring and making life hard for the opposition.

And in this picture the Opposition is only as their faith in the change, as the Opposition are steadfast in the belief, that they will overcome the fraudulent system and their works to counter the totalitarian and Police State that they are living under.

In this picture and under this oppressive state, as their leaders and so many activist are hurt, tortured, detained and even lingering in jail, the shadow cabinet is just a useful to toy for legitimacy of Mzee, so why are Hon. Kiiza and Hon. Nganda Ssemujju playing with the toy and thinking it matter. Because is shouldn’t, they shouldn’t’ and the force behind it is personal greed and status, not for the cause of the matter. What the leadership and tarnished exchange of a uncertain peace that Gen. Mugisha Muntu got out of giving in, is not sure! But certainly the value of the trade is certainly only in the hands of the oppressive regime and the FDC sold itself short.

Dr. Kizza Besigye have played that game before and this time, I am sure he wouldn’t give in as the cause, and the peaceful transition have to happen in Uganda, at one point, there been happening in villages and at county levels for decades, why can’t it happen on the highest governmental position, the Presidential change and rule of law for that. A president need to be changed as the Government need fresh blood, not to be feed the nepotism, cronyism and corruption in favour of the NRM Elite, Musevenism and other clans connected to the NRM-O and the NRM NEC.

So please FDC Shadow Cabinet, why do you want to be used by Mzee for the small pieces of silver, when your own are detain, harassed and kidnapped from their home? How can you play these shadows in the august halls of the Parliament, while your own loyal youth and the men risking their political future in the word of the ‘Defiance’ like Ingrid Turinawe and Doreen Nyanjura and so on; while you are eating and living well in the basking glory of Mzee with the rest of WaBenzi! Have you thought about that and the consideration of the reflection of your values, as the leader you stood by and earned your space, on his merits together with your groundwork gotten you into Parliament and your letting him dwindle in oblivion between dozen of court-cases as the Uganda Police Force and other State Authorities are pinning cases on him Christmas decoration on a Christmas tree while you are reading the ‘diary’ for the Parliament procedure and following the calendar of Parliament Speaker Hon. Rebecca Kadaga… instead of following the ethical and moral authority of Besigye and his cause of a government following the will of the People and not Mzee, as government should do! Peace.

Opinion: FDC must not destroy itself with a shadow cabinet in Parliament; they must continue the liberation struggle as Besigye are lingering in Luzira!

There are rules and regulations as the 10^th Parliament are starting the Forum for Democratic Change National Executive Committee had talks and a meeting where the FDC top management was certainly discussing its policies and who to challenge for the shadow government, as much as it is to become the Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Parliament.

But with the Intimidation, with the detainees, with the Police Force monitoring the Party and the members lingering in prisons and at police post, all the forged up charges against members and leader of party; while still the defiance campaign have been made illegal, but good news to hear that the Forum for Democratic Change Headquarters are not besieged and a crime scene anymore.

The FDC have to make smart and wise decisions, not the ones of Professor Baryamureeba who recently wanted the FDC to be loyal to the Parliament and change tune to make it possible for NRM and the regime to work without fuzz and create havoc. Well, the FDC should not follow men who are loyal to NRM and Museveni, as they are not supposed to follow that party-line as they have already standing legal issues and other aspects of being intimidated and harassing members, even torture of FDC leaders. That should worry the leadership and not silencing them, because that is all that the NRM Regime has right now.

FDC had the votes and the real crowds during the pre-election period and on Election Day for a change of guard and wishing to usher in Dr. Kizza Besigye. That was there, but the Electoral Commission and other forces have done whatever needed to rig and destroy proof of conspiracy of the electoral rigging and sham election. That even now after the EU and other Western Powers accepts, even if they know this.

That certain hardliners will claim that the ones in Parliament from the FDC that goes into the Shadow Government are traitors are understandable, even if they are not so, as in fact they are just doing a duty that are bound by the rules of Parliament. Still, they should have defied this and stay loyal to the President who are detained instead of thinking of their pockets and honors in the chambers; at the same time we cannot expect all lines of a party be such Nobel as the hardest wishes for change that are in the FDC. I am sure that certain parts of the ANC was not happy that after the releasing of Nelson Mandela from prison back in the day, that he went and still negotiated with the ruling regime and the last part of the minority rule in South Africa. I am certain that some of his close allies hated that he did so, but that mended the fences between the old and new, so South Africa had some sorts of softer landing after the election after years of struggle against the Apartheid regime.

Why I am saying this, is because the same will initially happen with certain members of FDC and certain opposition fractions, not talking about the UPC, most of them have already sold the party to National Resistance Movement, after the agreement between Hon. Akena and Museveni. That certain Democratic Party members are also in tail with the NRM are to be seen and should not flabbergast anybody, that independent candidates and MPs are naturally for MPs after this elections, as the independent are often NRM Primaries losers, who run again on their own ticket and was even facilitated by Museveni and the State House.

The FDC should be wise now and not self-destruct as the intimidation and the aggression have been so high. That certain member’s wants glory in parliament is to be understandable, as some wants to eat and are clinging on the Regime and the rules of Parliament instead of direct hardline loyalty!

There will be the ones who are more ideological for the struggle against the aggressor and the ones who eat of the state and take it for it is own gain, not-so-honorable Museveni and his elite. The Police Force are following the FDC and are looking for the men and woman they also can control, as the NRM wants to own the country and have everybody under line and the vision of Museveni. That is known, so if there moles and un-loyal people in the FDC, that should be expected. But we should not quickly drag the FDC who are fighting for the LOP or Shadow Cabinet position as they want to have a position in Parliament and have name in print. People are vain; politicians are even vainer and have more vanity as they want glory and capital.

The FDC should ask them what they want to be, as if they want to recognize the “Elected” Parliament and the “Elected” President. As the members and loyal supporters should ask if they want accept business as usual as they know with that, that the stakes of fortunes of crude oil and other resources will not benefit the Ugandan State, instead the Museveni Elite.

What would be interesting is how Dr. Kizza Besigye would take the persons and feel about the men and woman who accept a shadow government position since he is risking everything; while certain allies of him is in a way showing credibility like EU delegates after the walkout of the Swearing-In. The non-sense of attacking them directly and self-destruction is not advisory; it is more of the long-term process of knowing who is really wanting the democratic change and who wanted quickly to earn bucks on the Political Capital that a man of the stature of Besigye.

That is an important to ask, as the people who votes for a candidate and the ones that candidate endorse, together with the loyalty of party-line and the initially wish of actually making a difference. That is what the FDC have to ask as they, have been through wind and fire during the recent months and days. The Police Force and Army have attacked together with the Judiciary have used all methods to silence and all kind of types of aggression to bring the FDC to their knees. No questions as even FDC leaders been taken without warrants from their own homes into cars and driven from Kampala to Northern towns of Gulu/Lira and so on, in safe-houses to be tortured.

With that in mind, the FDC have to ask how much and who will stand by and be the ones that want to collaborate with the Regime that does that to fellow brothers and sisters. That the regime has uses tear-gas and guns against citizens, and the ones that arrest demonstrators instead of letting them demonstrate against the regime peacefully, something they should not be allowed to do. Therefore the questions are open and should be asked. What kind of party does FDC want to be? Certainly not sell their soul and party as Hon. Akena did during the Pre-Election Period. Since their “Presidential Candidate” and the ones Sworn-In before the Treason Charge is lingering now in Luzira, while the FDC NEC is playing shadows games that Museveni will enjoy.

The only one winning on the political inner-battle is not Besigye, is not the voters who voted for Besigye and the FDC. The ones that wins on internal battle of the Party is the NRM and their Museveni. Just as he did with UPC between Akena and Otunnu, as he has earned on the weakness of DP and their leaders endorsement of Mbabazi, Hon. Mao. There are too many Opposition parties and leaders who haven’t matched the Machiavellian and Orwellian leader of Museveni. Only one seems to have the stamina and diligence and that is Besigye. He is not totally perfect, he is human and has his weakness, still all his hardliner and ethical standpoints are there and components are there now and he seems to be the only one. As he have fought and fought ever since leaving the NRM.

Now is the time for FDC to decide on ONE primary question; either they are legitimizing the NRM and Museveni with his 10^th Parliament with his selected candidates; if not doing so, they should defy the Parliament and the rules; show that they are really the ones who have the legitimacy of the people and does not need the stolen government funds that Museveni will spoil to the ones who are dancing to his tune. Peace.    

The Cavalry tortured of FDC Vice Chairperson of the FDC Youth League; she survived but is still in critical state!

Today is a sad day; because of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and their Government are using their Police Force to brutally destroy opposition. That Police Force are using all tactics to dismantle the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), the words of the President Museveni, that he wanted to crash and even crush the Opposition, are now in full effect; without no mercy and the Police Officers are doing their job. The job of crashing the Opposition with all kind of methods and no care for their lives. 

It is not easy writing about this, as this could have been me or you. We all who stand against tyranny and fight injustice can get into the hands of Police State and get punished for speaking out our mind. Therefore it is saddening me, to see the pictures and the story that fellow comrade Ingrid Turinawe describes and writes today. As I will show; this is heartbreaking and sad. The brutality and bestiality from the Authorities that not only mentally, but also with chemicals destroys a fellow human beings life, because of her political affiliation, she wasn’t a criminal or a terrorist, she was an active member of the FDC in Uganda. That was it! That should not be a reason to get this treatment, none should get this treatment, she is an innocent citizen who cares about politics and get hurt for life for doing so. The Destruction of this life lays in the tarnished legacy of President Museveni and by orders of IGP Kale Kayihura, hope these people will hunt your sleep and mind. As they are just like you, with a heart and mind; they will be the reminder of how you ate the whole state and now is punishing the ones who is not affiliated with the NRM. That is not “Rule of Law” or Justice for that matter.

Before I get to preachy; let Ingrid Turinawe tell the story:

“Kakayi Zeridah is the FDC vice chair person of the Youth league. Arrested in Kampala on 11th May, driven to unknown places, injected with chemicals that made her unconscious! Today, I visited ZERIDA, her story is so shocking! After a whole week of terrible torture! In an isolated hut, (read safe house in Gulu) she was driven and abandoned for dead on the road side at the bridge – River ASWA boarder of PADER and Gulu. Good Samaritans rescued her, before they called Kampala family who went to pick her. She has an injured back, she cannot walk on her own. She needs prayers. Listening to Zerida z story, you really thank God that she is alive! Unbelievable! Can’t imagine these things can even happen in our motherland!” (Ingrid Turinawe, 21.05.2016).

That’s enough for now. Peace.