{UAH} Opposition agree on united front to unseat Museveni

By Alfred Wandera

KAMPALA - The opposition have agreed to forge a united front to challenge President Yoweri Museveni in the forthcoming polls.

They have also gone ahead to form a team of 40 members to spearhead the selection of their joint presidential candidate.

This was revealed to New Vision in an exclusive interview with the leader of opposition in parliament, Wafula Oguttu, on the sidelines of a two-day non-residential opposition parliamentary caucus that ended Thursday at Bugolobi Royal Suites.

"The team of 40 members was formed on Tuesday and it is an extension of the membership of Uganda Citizenship Compact on Free and Fair Elections. The team comprises opposition party leaders, civil society leaders, religious leaders and eminent persons," said Wafula.

The Uganda Citizenship Compact on Free and Fair Elections comprise a group of opposition, civil society and religious leaders that is at the vanguard of demanding constitutional, electoral and political reforms ahead of the 2016 general elections.

'Rally our support'

Some of the members of the team include Bishop Zac Niringiye, Archbishop John Baptist Odama, Father Gaetano Batanyenda, Nobert Mao, Olara Otunnu, Ken Lukyamuzi, Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, Asuman Basalirwa, Godber Tumushabe, Crispy Kaheru and Leonard Okello.

Wafula added that the Tuesday meeting agreed that a joint presidential candidate should be a personality whose demeanor and influence cut across the opposition and appeals to the public across the country.

"The team was entrusted with powers to select a person who would then be introduced to the public as the joint opposition candidate.

"We shall then pull our resources together and rally our support behind the chosen candidate during campaigns to ensure we clinch the presidency. The team is expected to have picked the candidate by September," explained Wafula.
 

Opposition party MPs (FDC, DP and CP) pose for a group picture at Royal Suites Bugoloobi after the retreat. From left, Angelina Osege, Latif Ssebaggala,Mathias Nsubuga, Betty Nambooze, Wafula Ogutu, Joseph Balikuddembe, Moses Kasibante, Jack SsabitiWilliam Nzoghu, Allen Andrew, Jacinto Agwal and Akello Judith. (Photo credit: Enock Kakande)

Although he said there are no names yet of preferred candidates from which the team will select, a number of leaders are touted as possible joint candidates to flying the opposition flag.

They include Democratic Party's (DP) Norbert Mao, Forum for Democratic Change's (FDC) Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, former FDC president, Col. Kizza Besigye, Uganda People's Congress' (UPC) Olara Otunnu, Justice Forum's Asuman Basalirwa, Conservative Party's (CP) Ken Lukyamuzi and FDC's Nandala Mafabi.

'Clear assumptions'

The most probable new entrants into the opposition politics include former Vice-President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, Australian-based Uganda cardiology Dr. Aggrey Kiyingi and former Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi.

However, political pundits contend that it will be a herculean task for opposition to agree on a joint candidate basing on their past where the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC) disintegrated when Mao and Otunnu jumped ship and decided to pursue their sole candidature in their respective parties.

Facilitating at the closure of the retreat on Thursday, Bishop Niringiye urged all opposition parties to support a united front to defeat what he termed President Museveni's dictatorial regime.

"That is the kind of reflection that I want us to have. What does it take to have a united front and why is it important? We need to make clear assumptions that will become a basis of implementing our strategies," said Niringiye.

Bugabula County MP, Andrew Allen – an Independent MP – who attended the retreat from the first day, said opposition should already have selected a joint candidate and started popularizing him/her to the electorate.

On his part, Moroto County MP, Benson Obua Ogwal said opposition must drop their egos as political parties and leaders.

He said it should not be left to the political leaders to select a joint candidate amongst themselves, but that instead the public should be involved so that they can own the candidate.

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H.OGWAPITI
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"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that  we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic  and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
---Theodore Roosevelt

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