I do not feel like dropping the Uganda Media Centre Press Release freely to world without criticizing for it missing facts and show the fiction of the ruling party, which means the NRM who surely does whatever it can to look beautiful; while the truth is something else. That they the NRM claim that everybody else putting up the ANTI towards the polls; as they have done with vicious attacks if they don’t get rule again. So again the non-sense is so far-fetched that this was too easy to not demolish for me, I will not take every piece of the Press Release, because hey! It is not worth that time to write it. Opondo can’t use that long time writing before publishing it, my evidence is: “Civil Society Organisations (SCOs)” (Opondo, 2016). Let’s go!
Meddling from Embassies in Politics:
“Government does not therefore expect particularly members of the diplomatic missions here to unduly meddle in our internal politics and elections as some of them are already doing. Government takes strong exception to meddling and would like to caution those doing so to desist forthwith, and in case there are matters of concern they should be addressed through the appropriate diplomatic channels. Uganda seeks mutual respect to its sovereignty in accordance with international laws, norms and practices” (Opondo, 2016).
This here is an answer to the polls that was showing favorable and giant lead to Dr. Kizza Besigye and the FDC over President Museveni and the NRM. This is intended to deflect the actual factual one they had and released in the end of January 2016. Here is the basics of it:
“Communications Department of the American Embassy in Kampala has conducted an intelligence poll and it suggested that: Museveni is at 30%, Besigye at 53.6% and Mbabazi 15 %”. There are other candidates, but there is not much left for the 5 other candidates. Just saying…
This is the one thing that Opondo and the Government of Uganda, alas NRM don’t want to see, as this destroys the picturesque polls that they posted in New Vision with 71%. As they have done in both 2016 and 2011, about the same time (before the election) with the same number and lead for the NRM. So the diplomatic missions should just focus on giving government aid and government funds that the NRM-Regime can embezzle. He is not saying that, but that is what he means.
Governmental issues with the FDC:
“The repeated incidents of violent friction particularly by the supporters of Dr Kizza Besigye targeting the police including physical assault on law enforcement personnel must be condemned and discouraged. The police deserve respect by all in order for them to work effectively and efficiently in protecting the general public. While the public has generally shunned recruitment into political quasi militias, some opposition groups continue to mobilize under the pseudo noum of Power Ten (P10) mainly in Kampala, Wakiso and parts of Mukono districts” (Opondo, 2016).
This here is straight forward attack on a Presidential Candidate and his campaign. As they use the necessity of security forces and police as a token of self-defense, as they goes aggressive against the campaign rallies of the FDC. There been seen so much Anti-Riot Police following the campaign trail of the FDC, as there been DPC in cell-phone conversation at campaign rallies as frequent as Liam Neeson in Taken. The way the Police is harassing the opposition and keeps blocking and stop also media houses as the opposition steps into them; proves the problem is not FDC, but the NRM-Regime who is not fully-fledge democratic, yet! They claim about the P10 who is made up to show accountability and stay behind after the vote is cast and generate local participation from the grassroots-level, as did the Resistance Councils back in the day! But Opondo has forgotten that piece of history hasn’t he? Secondly the P10 is nothing compared to military formation of Crime Preventers as they have trainings with sticks, while the P10 is a little organization who works for securing votes and participation towards the FDC. As a democratic party does during pre-election times, but why is this wrong Hon. Opondo? Is it because it not your beloved party NRM and for Mzee? As everything is supposed to circle around?
Army and Police men not allowed to Campaign:
“Government is following and investigating reports that appear to link Gen. David Sejusa aka Tinyefuza to some of these groups, and if found to be true appropriate actions will certainly be taken to curtail and neutralise his activities. As the law is currently, no serving police, prisons or army personnel whatever the rank can be a member of a political party, an election campaign task force, support candidates, be a campaign agent, or speak publicly on partisan political issues. The only role serving officers have is law enforcement when called upon, and to cast their votes in secret as the law provides for all registered voters” (Opondo, 2016).
The arrest is done as the general has questioned the regimes premise and coming rigging as there are things to question in that manner. As Gen. Sejusa is not allowed to be political involvement the Gen. Kale Kayihura of the Police was even on the Second Delegates Conference of the NRM to assert Mzee for another term as sole candidate in the NRM. But that is not an issue for Opondo, because Kayihura support the right party. Lieutenant General Henry Tukumunde aka “The Money Man” is directly involved in the NRM campaign team and that is also a no-issue. You have Brigadier Elly Kayanja who campaigns directly for NRM, but that is a no-go. So why is okay for all this men to be part of NRM, while Gen. Sejusa questions the NRM-Regime, he gets Makindye Military Barracks yesterday! So Opondo, please explain the inaccuracy in your flawed logic of why Gen. Sejusa can’t campaign, while all this other persons can walk freely and do what they want?
This here is the last quote I care about quoting and address, the supposed evil intent of FDC and other fractions of society to make a rebellion towards the government if the result of the election does not goes their way, sounds like some the fantasy Narnia-land and soon making Uganda until Mordor instead of the Shia it is before the election. As the detaining of more and more political active persons either opposition candidates or affiliated to an opposition candidate like the driver of Dr. Kizza Beisgye, Norbert Mao and so on. But let me go to the last quote worth commenting to.
Propaganda against Mzee:
“There is an on-going drive to intensify negative propaganda against President Yoweri Museveni, senior government and security officers. Part of this plan is already evident in sections of the media deliberately distorting or quoting out of context public statements issued by government officials with the view to cast government in negative light and cause public disaffection” (Opondo, 2016).
I must be one of the men who has intensified propaganda against Mzee and his loyal cronies. Well, IGP Kayihura and NRM SG Lumumba promised arms to Crime Preventers go against opposition if they won the election, Lumumba actually said she would get the regime to shoot and kill civilians, and last but not least NRM Chairman of Masaka Katumba promising violence if they lose power. This is paraphrasing the manner, since I written about it before, and don’t need to address that again. That Opondo talks about context and calls the questioning of it “cause public disaffection”. The disaffection is caused by the utter violence the NRM men are spreading to the public as even their master in Mityana! Where he promised that he would take his life and his supporters would do the same if the Electoral Commission let Dr. Kizza Besigye become the President. This tells of the violence and fear that the NRM is spreading. They are the ones causing this, it is not the media who asks and getting this people to talk in this manner and address the world in this spirit. It is themselves and later the media who gives the reason and music to it, as a way of making sense of the message the NRM and Mzee is sending in the final stages.
The level of fear and spreading fear as the ending of the press release is sending is massive and outrages. This is just in token of the NRM-O for the moment. They can’t breathe on other things than spreading fear to keep power. Not that they have actually achieved anything in their 30 year reign in the Country! The riches of the spoils has gone to cronies and not it’s people. It is far from the Shia or the Rivendell, instead it is closer to the Mordor as the NRM-Regime is saying it will become right around elections and post-elections when all ordinary government facilities will be under siege; as the on-authorized militias will go against the result, as the NRM does not do anything wrong or say nothing wrong, that is the place of the opposition to do. But that is just my assessment as the brilliant Ofwono Opondo states today in the Uganda Media Centre Press Release. That I have discussed! Though Opondo’s flawed mind is to be a loyal mouthpiece of Museveni. As this is was released in the Media House payed by government funding under the Office of the President. So this can only see as biased lovely propaganda, as the ones he claimed the opposition was printing and describing as they take words out of context. But the NRM just print the picture who make them look perfect, that is why they have banned NTV from their campaign as they did not follow the guidelines of the regime anymore. That is something to think about. Peace.
Reference:
Opondo, Ofwono – ‘Government Press Statement on Pre-Election’ (01.02.2016) link: http://mediacentre.go.ug/spotlight/government-press-statement-pre-election
MinBane 