Dr. Kizza Besigye’s advice for termination of the NRM!

If you ever want the clear advice to bring down the dictatorship of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who now acts and lives like he owns the Republic Uganda. Than if you want to get rid of that and want to use the advice of Forum for Democratic Change founder and former Presidential Candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye. Than his words and inspirational words should be for you. He explains the whole story and the whole theft of the state and how it was built around the President. How Museveni has taken all the institutions and the state is embedded with him. But that we already knows, therefore I have taken the part that people should listen to and use. The true defiance and defy the Museveni state, so that there are possible a peaceful transition from his rule. Where the state doesn’t belong to Museveni or the Movement, but to the people. The Citizens has a government who cares about delivery and not if Museveni get an expensive enough airplane or helicopter. Take a look!

Outtake from the Press Conference of Dr. Kizza Besigye today:

“Regardless of what the regime does, the people of Uganda are definitely closing in to take back their power and embark on a TRANSITION to a new dispensation.

The NRM/Museveni Junta has no legitimacy to amend the Uganda Constitution as it’s planning to do. This will be an activity of the TRANSTION PROCESS.

Immediate task: Termination of the NRM/Museveni Junta:

The following needs to be done to terminate the Junta’s control of our country:

1) Intensify the “awakening campaign”, for most Ugandans to become active in the processes of achieving a transition. Everyone has a role to play in achieving this.

2) Forming activist networks to make it possible to act together and to be coordinated.

3)Everyone seeking a democratic transition should take deliberate actions, individually or in concert with others to disempower and break down the Junta. Each one’s actions, however small, contribute significantly towards the desired change.

4) Public servants, including those in the security and military are called upon to join the struggle for democratic transition.

5) In coordination with other political and civil society formations, we’ll soon start various activities that will disempower and bring the, now fragile, Junta to an end.

The transition:

A transition process will start when the Junta ceases the control of the state- either, through popular actions or a dialogue process.

The key activities of the transition period are:

1) Government of National Unity.

2) A comprehensive review of the Constitution.

3) Rebuilding State institutions to ensure transparency in recruitment and a national character, a high standard of performance and public accountability; non-partisan character; high standard of discipline and professionalism etc.

4) Truth telling, justice and reconciliation.

5) Free and Fair elections” (Dr. Kizza Besigye, 11.07.2017).

The acts of defiance and trying to coordinate the powers to be. Make the state dissolution over the citizens who doesn’t act upon the oppressive measures dropped by the central government. That they does what they can locally to make changes to the state. This done in demonstrations and stop using the state based operations that makes the NRM regime so rich and can rig themselves into power. That they follow a leadership similar to Besigye and other who trying to dismantle the Presidency. For the simplest reason of getting democracy and getting rid of the dictatorship of Museveni. These words of Besigye should be seen as the guidelines for the patriots and the ones who wants the Republic run by elected men, and not selected men by the NRM. This is how it is now.

The NRM acts like they own the nation and the state, the State is controlled from the State House and the orders are from there. There aren’t anything done without the State House involved, that isn’t a healthy state. That is a Banana Republic and an undemocratic state where one-voice control it all. There is time for change, it has been a long time for change. This cannot only be done by the freedom fighter Besigye, but has to happen by the will and acts of the people. The people have to say, enough is enough. The impunity, the theft and the ignorance of needs of the people is enough. Time to stand-up and be together in the struggle for just ice, liberty and accountability. For a regime who wants to deliver government services and also give taxation with representation. Something that isn’t done now by this government and the President. Peace.

President Museveni sanctions now all information on emergencies from the State House!

If you ever needed proof that the departments, ministries and institutions don’t have values in Uganda, than you need the newest revelation. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), who has run the nation for over three decades. This is proven with the Presidential Handshakes, the growing amounts of MP’s, Ministers and of newly created districts and sub-counties. That sort of government both state-wise and locally has grown out of proportions, this to make it possible to have enough cronies close by and hire them. The government has been built around President Museveni, still he has to control it even more. Take a look!

“President Museveni has ordered ministries to stop declaring state of emergencies without his prior approval of their messages to the public. He accused government officials of using loose words which have ended up scaring away potential investors and tourists. President Museveni voiced his concerns in a letter he wrote to the Vice President and copied to all permanent secretaries of all ministries on January 20, this year” (Ahimbisibwe, 2017).

So the controlling behavior of President Museveni, now is to another level since he cannot even trust that the message spread by his ministers are sound enough. He is now controlling the releases of information and vouch for the ones spread from the NRM. The Government is so controlled by him, that it all has to pass by him. Because his rubber-stamp has now to be on the messages.

That the President needs clearance and cannot trust in his ministers, not the agencies or state institutions, proves the lack of transparency, as even the messages has to pass by him before the public gets to know. If it is first in emergencies, than it will on the Presidents desk and he will rewrite it, so that it fits his understanding of it. So if it needs to be addressed as enclave, a colonial relic or even if it is climate change, the President has to speak his peace.

That the Police Force, the Army or any of the ministers can address the matters first in public, to regain trust or even try to amend in the emergency that arrived. That the President shouldn’t have the capacity to control each and every single message the government spreads out. Surely, the President cannot have capacity to follow Hon. Frank Tumbewaze or Uganda Media Centre Chairman Ofwono Opondo’s remarks on the matters. As much as the President cannot have the time or the ability to understand the different events that occur in the Republic.

This here proves that President Museveni only trust himself and no-one else, all his vision has to be spread and people have to believe him. President Museveni wants to control it all and not give way, it is all him and his behavior. Not like Museveni wants to trust anyone. They are only around for Presidential Handshake’s and Brown Envelopes, that is because they follow his system. They know if they stay around and needs it, he will help them out and also create needed jobs for the closest associates.

President Museveni proves with this what we have known for long, that the institutions and the ministries is shell-organizations for the supposed operations of the state. Museveni has to be informed and engaged before actions happens. If it doesn’t happen that way, it is the wrong way and his feels betrayed by his own. Therefore, the ones that falls stopped informing and being independent of their master. Which is Museveni, who feels he is more important than the institutions. Museveni thinks he is the pillar of the State and the key to all the works of the State.

That is why the newest order of controlling information and the flow of information to the public, the enforcement of this proves the systematic control that he has from the Okello House. This proves how belittling the state is and how important the President thinks of himself. The way the State is now his playground and no-one else can play like he do. Peace.

Reference:

Ahimbisibwe, Patience – ‘Museveni set to vet government messages’ (04.04.2017) link: http://mobile.monitor.co.ug/News/Museveni-set-vet-government-messages/2466686-3876432-format-xhtml-5i5i9oz/index.html

Opinion: It’s total silence not defiance anymore

The Campaign of Defiance is dead, because the compliance has sunk the ship of Defiance that we’re ushered in with the Presidential Campaign of 2015/2016 of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and for the Presidential Candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye. The rigged and fraudulent election went down, the President since 1986 President Yoweri Museveni triggered election victory with 100% in dozens of districts and acted vicious in others; that are known opposition strongholds like Kampala, Wakiso and others. Therefore the FDC and Besigye should have and could have grievances on the methods of suppression of the votes.

Besigye’s campaign of defiance was a grand idea in the darkness of an oppressive regime under the National Resistance Movement. The NRM has for decades and during previous elections used public funds, used the state and security organizations to spread fear instead of free and fair election. As well as hiring fellow cronies in the Electoral Commission that we’re working directly on orders for the Movement instead of securing the popular vote, as well as using the Police Force and the Army to show where the loyalty should be, also gifts of soaps, food and small fees to take part of rallies in the districts. This has been NRMs way of spreading loyalty and fear mixed together.

So the Defiance campaign was a good idea, to defy the rigged system and state apparatus that has eaten the whole plate and only follows orders of loyal cronies of Museveni. That in itself was genuine and straight-forward plan from Besigye, only if more of the citizens and the party he was apart of really believed in it. As with time the defying plans has been silenced, the fighting the machine and corrupt behaviour of the state has turned silent.

The FDC and the defiance after the failing Election Petition of the Go-Forward and Amama Mbabazi in Supreme Court, the FDC and Besigye hasn’t had the levels of defiance in them or tried to defy the structures that validates the regime. The FDC has turned into compliance as the swearing-in of Museveni happen and the Members of Parliament we’re sworn-in after the fraudulent election. It was topped when certain MPs went into Shadow-Parliament and legitimized the Movement.

So with this the FDC themselves did comply with Museveni and his fellow cronies instead of defying the ruler. They went into the chambers made sure they got paid and later trying to follow the lead of Besigye isn’t believable. That the same men and woman who easily take the small-change at the Parliament and later goes to FDC Prayers is playing to games.

The Short-Con is the Shadow-Cabinet and validating the rule of Museveni to make sure their pockets are filled and that their MPs respectability is fixed so their families and friends are secured. But with this they are forgetting the long-term damage to be parts of Movements skin-democracy.

The Long-Con is that with the sharing parts of the skin-democracy and playing the game of the freedom fighters while not really working the cause. So the long-con is some of the FDC leadership roles right now, only patching the hurt, but not trying to rebuild.

The Defiance Campaign was about defying the Movement… something that the FDC didn’t do, which is complicated and also lacking of moral support from the FDC while he was serving time in Moroto and Luzira. They might show up to gates of the prison and even say publicly that they condemn the Police Force actions against the democratic and rights to assemble as an opposition party.

So the plan of Defiance wasn’t supposed to be one-man band, Besigye wasn’t supposed to carry it on his own. Besigye weren’t alone as we could see youths, P-10 Groups and FDC-Diaspora we’re supportive efforts. You had and still have Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and Gen. David Sejusa. Still, they have very few others who have been under fire at the same level without trading their souls, there is Ingrid Turinawe and Doreen Nyanjura has fought battles without much to gain.

That the silence in general should be worrying as the Police Force are continuing to battle with Besigye, his house is still besieged and the man is monitored every movement. If he breaks the barrier and creates public excitement, than it’s straight into detention or police brutality cases towards the crowds that surge the man.

Besigye should be free, the country should be free, but the silence isn’t saving anything. The silence has settled the defiance campaign and the mentality of the defiance agenda. They didn’t build momentum enough to stop the daily life and hurt the business of the movement. The defiance didn’t stop the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) from collecting VAT or stop exports of fuel. The Defiance didn’t stop the UPDF from getting new recruits or any other possible monetary deficiency the campaign could do. Just like the shops stopping trading as the shop-keepers we’re even detained for doing so, because it hurt the taxation and trade that the Movement needs to run their merry-go-round of graft and embezzlement of public funds.

The Defiance could have worked if the FDC and Besigye had gotten the momentum and had the public will behind them, not the half-ready pile of work, sort of like the way the Police Force in Uganda picks up intelligence as they see fit in forged police case. The FDC could have used the anger and frustration of the public, the citizens who feel used.

So the May Protest this year we’re starting of profound messages that the citizens we’re on the road of pressing the government. So much we’re ready as they remembered the recent thieving of their future from the Movement yet again, the wounds we’re fresh. Still the army had been in the streets, the Police Force we’re targeting the opposition and also civil society offices we’re attacked.

The people shouldn’t be silenced as the Christmas season are in line, the FDC cannot carry this alone, not that all of them wanted the defiance; they wanted the easy compliance life of the pseudo-opposition instead of a fighting defying organization that could get rid of the militarized movement that been running it since the 1980s. That should be KEY. That should be the goal of the FDC; instead many went into legitimizing it.

So the silenced is understandable, Besigye and his trials cannot be of only him and it isn’t, but it is many who has given in and went back to business-as-usual. Besigye could have more support from the FDC NEC, but he hasn’t. They don’t have the backbone and the wish to succeed. They gave in when it was going against the grain. They we’re risking it all and couldn’t. While Besigye is again under a “treason” charge as others who are questioning the Movement; the others are walking free and without any Court Orders in their name.

It’s not like the man who took the power by the gun want to leave silent or let it go easy, he fought a brutal bush-war. Now he has a big-army and guerrillas of M23, Museveni got allies of USA and Russia dropping arms in his favour so he can suppress his people. Citizens can fight this, but they cannot only rely on Besigye. Besigye only has power if the people are behind him. If the people are working with to dismantle the regime, but the silent obedient citizens are changing an illegitimate regime. Civil disobedience and systematic effort to discontinue the regime would be true defying the Movement. Instead the silence is what is running the tides as 2017 are coming around the corner. Peace.

As President Museveni have the Inauguration for his 7th Term tomorrow; he has done this: “Ugandan Citizens are living in a situation where the injustice and incarceration of democracy is happing as we speak”; So I don’t care who shows up at Kololo tomorrow!

Let me clear I don’t care who is showing up for the event and the Inauguration of President Museveni for his 7^th Term as the Executive and Head of State in the Republic of Uganda. This event is not something I see as significant or worthy of taking my precious time or mind.

As the breach of ordinary justice to the citizens as the Opposition is the epitome of regime for the moment. If it was a legitimate regime and authorities had a mutual understanding and cheer between each other. Just as seen earlier in the day when Dr. Kizza Besigye drove into Central Kampala, until the Police and Army decided to disperse the people with tear-gas, beatings and other violence to shut the cheering crowds down.

The injustice from the Government of Uganda to make tomorrow look perfect is into the insane, with the heavy deployment of Anti-Riot Police, Army Personnel and other security arrangements. Could think it was occupation of the capital city, not an inauguration of the newly elected President. Just as recently the Army had to fly a few Russian Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets to intimidate, and they flew low over the city.

The Army and the Police is the vital ingredient in the President Museveni dogma of leadership. He only knows violence and aggression, not really dialogue or accords. That is why the Nairobi Talks of 1980s faltered and we’re a farce of an extension towards goodwill between then friends and foes. Something that has failed, as much as the Inter-Burundian Dialogue, because President Nkurunziza want to do the same as President Museveni, he wants all power in his hands and take away the ones the opposition have or want to have. And with that admission there can’t be discussion or relief of power towards a unity of some kind.

But, let me clear way, as the Uganda and the Republic of Uganda is making way for yet another Inauguration Ceremony. In the time before the VPN business is the high-rising one as the Uganda Communication Commission is silencing the Social Media Platform, while the Army and Police silence the Opposition and detain the ones who might create fuzz in the country. President Museveni wants it done in cheer and joy with silence from the men who are not in line. Therefore have the Forum for Democratic Change been illegal and the Police Force have gone after them like they are serious killers and terrorist, even charging them with treason and terrorism charges. I am not kidding fellow activists in Rukungiri got charged with Terrorism! Fellow FDC staff that used the printer at Najjankumbi are charged with treason. This is happening during the last few days.

So the Social Media Ban is the last piece of destruction of freedom, liberty and so on. As Ministry for Information and National Guidance Rtd. Maj. Hon. Jim Muhwezi and Inspector General of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura have said that all coverage of “Defiance” and the Forum for Democratic Change is illegal and the media houses who does so can get their broadcaster or licence revoked. So the Freedom of speech is already in a thin thread as the Media are to follow the order of the President Museveni and write about the Health Care and other issues, not write about the Crack-Down on the Opposition.

The same happen on Election Day as youth connected to the FDC was even then arrested together with the leadership. Dr. Kizza Besigye have close to 50 days in house-arrest in 2016 alone, and then we don’t count the amount of times he has spent his lunch at Kiira Road Police Post, Nagalama Police Station, Kasangati Police Station or any other Police Station that the Police Officer have detained him at. Together with close leadership of the FDC who has nearly all of them at one point been behind bars or waited for hours while the Police have gone to pick-up more activist that are connected with the Party.

The freedom of expression, the freedom of movement, the liberty to decide and to control the people, while the hospital are depleting and empty of medicines, if they have they will be sold like the Yellow Fever Vaccine in Kampala, that we’re supported to be given for free. Still this is typical levels of ignorance from the government that doesn’t deliver the needed treatment and the famous Carol, is put her treatment on hold even when she has been able to get needed cash for treatment abroad. The other is the schools where even President Museveni with pledges of free schoolbooks and geometry sets to Primary School students. Some promises and pledges that have already been given up as the government doesn’t have funds for that; as the State House coffers where empty and needed new fiscal funds after the campaigns. Something the Ugandans know and the monies went to the Buses, Bribes and T-shirts. Not to needed pledges or ordinary transparent government procedures and procurement, but that is not important under NRM as the word of President Museveni is the ones that matter.

So the Army deployment today, the Police Force that are on every corner, that the Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) that rides on the street while the M23 and other security organizations have stifled and silenced the population who was cheering for Besigye when he passed the central parts of Kampala. This is the ordinary as the deployment is done to make the perfect scenario as the citizens are not for the President and he has overstayed his time. The wish for change is there.

The fear and the weapons are the only thing he has, he can afford to pay a NRM Elite and get them in line as the army and Police arrest even their own and former close network of the NRM. This is say because Vincent Kaggwa of NRM Poor Youth has been arrested today.

No matter what words President Museveni and his NRM Elite uses tomorrow and in the future, the actions against their own citizens, the actions during this General Election 2016 and the general thieving of government funds has gone too far. It is time for change and new leadership. Because using the Army and Police force, clearing the Central Kampala, rewriting the history and silencing media and own citizens is not a genuine peace.

The PEACE created now is with intimidation and why certain shops are closed. Why the emptiness is the words. Why the waste of air-time and the waste of VPN. The Defiance and disobedience of the population comes because they feel violated and taken for granted. They feel that the government doesn’t represent them and at this point it doesn’t. The Members of Parliament and the selected men of National Resistance Movement represent Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, not the Republic of Uganda. That is an initial fact while the NRM regime lives in a stolen fiction, a novel of inaccuracies of nonsense.

The silence of Opposition is because they are detained, their organizations are deemed illegal and the men and woman who organize peaceful political framework are terrorised while the National Resistance Movement is proclaiming themselves in the shades of fellow mates who does not care of their will of their people and what the event of tomorrow represent. Tomorrow’s inauguration does not represent democracy or free and fair election. Tomorrow represent the stolen affair that the guests are validating for different reasons and for the friendship to Museveni, not to the Ugandan People. Some of these men and woman who are attending are doing the same to their own like President Mugabe.

The violations and the injustice, the impunity and the little care for general freedoms are just manifested in the Social Media Ban. The most important violations are the banning of “Defiance” and the crackdown on Forum for Democratic Change is GIANT stain on the ruling regime and their master. The Master who will in-general swear-in himself with selected men around him and with a crowd either paid or voter tourism to his dear Kololo. The nation and all institutions are infested with his dictations and the controls are in his hands for now.

President Museveni was once a “New Breed” of leader, now his the old-school kleptomaniac, totalitarian leader who uses the Police and Army to silence all open opposition, who steals government funds to expand his own wealth and the other goes to loyal cronies. As the nepotism is fierce in the institutions and the deals are around the master and his family. The transparent and procedural procurement happens on his watch, not on government procedures where established norms matters, the government is infested with leadership and waiting on orders from upon high. With that in mind, no man should have a vision other than him and the last words are his. He decides the faith and orders the arrest and detains. Because he believes he is the only one who can lead Uganda. Something he even said on the #UGDebate16 in February 2016. If you forgotten that part?

The incarcerations of Democratic Values are real, they are happening in Kampala and in the state of National Resistance Movement. The Social Media is the long line of freedoms, liberties and values that doesn’t matter for the President who are getting sworn-in tomorrow while his Army and Police is keeping the areas silenced and tense. Since the weapons are there and used. Shops even closed as the Police Violence happen in the streets and the footage was shocking!

I don’t really care that this other leaders are giving way to the President as they are not caring about their own people, though President Magufuli care more about Rates on the Crude Oil Pipeline than on principal in this matter, even when fellow brothers and sisters are living in a situation where the injustice and incarceration of democracy is happing as we speak.

That the JEEMA headquarters was also raided today proves the levels of integrity as the party have nearly no following and the level of campaign was non-existing still with their planed celebration of 20 years existence tomorrow, they had to be raided by Police Force today! They just had to, to celebrate on the same day as inauguration of Museveni is a crime in the nation. If you celebrate something tomorrow keep it in silence and eat a rollex, okay?

The detaining, the violence and the harassment of opposition should be the worry, the social media ban is just the last piece of the puzzle, but a tiny one compared to the ones who has been going on with lightning speed since days before Election Day when the Police Force went up their Ante and took more charge on the Forum for Democratic Change as they feared the level of support and the organization that they have built up over the years. Peace.

#SitukaMay5: Gov. Bans Coverage; Plans to shut down Social Media; and Demonstrations in Kampala, Busia and Rukungiri!

“Is there anyone who thinks Besigye is right to operate outside the law? If you do… you must be sick” – Hon. Jim Muhwezi

Hon. Jim Muhwezi the Minster of Information and National Guidance follows the Party line of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura who has gone out and told media not cover the “Defiance Campaign” and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in Uganda. This happens on the 5^th May National Demonstrations for a International Audit of General Election of 2016. Something the Ruling Party NRM has no interest of letting happen. The Ones that does live broadcast of the demonstrations and Defiance campaign might lose their license and lose their ability to broadcast anything at all; so to follow advise of the President to write about and broadcast the empty hospitals who doesn’t have medicine as he wanted the other day to focus on the Health Care.

Nakawa, Kampala

And if you do care about that there is a running Yellow Fever Vaccine Scandal at the moment in Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) between them and the National Medical Stores (NMS). Where the Vaccines are getting sold or gone in the wind as teh KCCA have one claim, while the NMS have proof of delivering it. Can please Hon. Jim Muhwezi speak about that, so he does as his master commands him?  

Kampala

“UCC: We can control TV and radio but if you must go ahead and use social media for defiance, the government will control it”.

On Social Media:

 “Government bans live broadcast of FDC’s defiance campaign, vows to shut social media: “We know about VPN but if we have to shut down social media completely, we will. We constantly communicate with Facebook and Twitter. We can shut down social media platforms if we have to,” government roars” (Daily Monitor, 05.05.2016).

Old Kampala

“I had planned to travel to North Korea and China to see how it’s done. I don’t have to anymore, thanks to you know who” – Andrew Mwanguhya (Daily Monitor Journalist).

At Lukwago’s House

As of this morning Dr. Kizza Besigye the leader of the FDC is on the second day of House Arrest. MP Elect Francis Mwijuke has been put under same arrest this morning. Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago is also put under house arrest today.   The Kabarole Chairperson Nyakato Ruasoke has been arrested in Fort Portal.

Makerere University

There been demonstrations at Makerere University and Kyambogo University in Kampala. They have both been dispersed by the Police with tear-gas and anti-riot police squad cars. By all means so that means throwing tear-gas at the students!

Busia

There been grand demonstrations in Busia where the Police Force went in heavy and dispersed the demonstrators in the town.

Shops have been closed in Rukungiri where there we’re reports of live fire in the early morning. The shops closing been verified, but the shooting has not been.

Kampala

More from Kampala:

“Situation check in Kampala. Mother nature has brought a truce , we have retreated for shelter services to be resumed. Meanwhile we shall wear the military down. They can’t eat on the guard so by 5 pm they will be worn out” (Moses Atocon Atyekwo, 2016).

As the demonstrations continues and resumes. Even if new ones comes; the Defiance continues even if President Museveni and the men of Resistance doesn’t see the problem with resistance and resisting authority as that was the way they came to power. They resisted Obote, and now the Opposition and their supporters defy them. Civil disobedience not committing a crime; as the court order is flawed and can be countered by what is written in the 1995 constitution. By my reckoning that constitution is supposed to be the standard law of the land where the Resistance is the ruling party who has trouble with Defiance. Long live the National Resistance Movement and their foolish poetic injustice that manifested yet another day in Uganda. Peace.

Up and About – Besigye Speaks out on Next Plan (Youtube-Clip)

“FDC Announces Peaceful Demonstration” (NBS TV Uganda, 2016)

Besigye in Mbabara, Police in Running Battles with His Supporters (Youtube-Clip)

“Police in Mbarara has today engaged in running battles with Dr.Kizza Besigye supporters as they held processions in town.  Business came to a standstill as the joyful FDC loyalists welcomed their former presidential candidate who was on his way to Kabale, where he is to appear in court tomorrow. This was Dr. Besigye’s first time in the area since being confined to house arrest for over 40 days” (NBS TV Uganda, 2016)

How police escorted Col. Besigye from Kasangati under heavy deployment to Najanankumbi for prayers (Youtube-clip)

“Police escorted Col Besigye from Kasangati under heavy deployment to Najanankumbi for prayers” (2 of Us, 2016).

“Uganda sacrificing civil liberties for the sake of stability” says US envoy (Youtube-Clip) & Ofwono Opondo responds!

“The United States Ambassador to Uganda has raised concern that government appears to be sacrificing the civil liberties of citizens rights at the altar of maintaining stability. Ambassador Deborah Malac who was addressing students from higher institutions of learning here in Kampala says the poor organization of the elections and detention of opposition politicians has dented Uganda’s democratic credentials. Herbert Zziwa has the details of that report” (NTV Uganda, 2016).

RESPONSE TO US AMBASSODOR MS. DEBORAH MALAC
7th April 2016

The Uganda Government notes and takes strong exception to the continued unfair criticisms about its elections and human rights records by the US Ambassador Ms. Deborah Malac. We would like to briefly respond as follows;
The U.S. Government sponsored an election observer team under the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy (EISD) in Africa, through the International Republican Institute (IRI) Washington D.C. This was led by former Zambian President Rupiah Banda, which issued a report giving credit to Uganda’s just concluded elections. We would like to advise Ambassador Deborah Malac to carefully read that report. Unless she is giving it a vote of no confidence, then she is at liberty to keep referring to and relying on the partisan and very shallow EU report.
lt is strange that Ambassador Malac doesn’t refer to the report her government commissioned. Secondly, she doesn’t acknowledge that late delivery of ballot materials was in only two out of 112 districts in Uganda. These were isolated incidents and indeed time was extended and all voters who wished to vote did cast their votes, and those votes were counted, tallied and added to final results.
Since the publication of the Uganda Presidential Election results, none of the observer groups has come with credible evidence to challenge the results posted by Electoral Commission. We therefore wish to ask them to either adduce evidence or keep their peace for good. Otherwise, we know that some groups in the US and EU, including diplomats accredited to Uganda, funded and are still funding opposition elements in Uganda to cause government change outside the constitutional framework but are disappointed this hasn’t been successful as yet.
The U.S., which uses raw power to project its influence and interests around the world, is the least competent to ask other nations for democratic accountability. Uganda’s democracy is progressing well and we are satisfied with both the pace and achievements registered so far.

Ofwono Opondo
Government Spokesperson

Chain Protestors For President Elect Besigye in Uganda (Youtube-Clip)

“The Chain yourself movement is ongoing and here is a video from today. Courtsey of The Insider (a news website in Uganda)” (Martha Leah Nangalama, 2016).