{UAH} Dr. Besigye Juggernaut May Be 'Difficult' To Stop Says Gen. Museveni Associate

http://www.burkinastyle.com/content/30-years-broken-promises-besigye-juggernaut-now-unstoppable-gen-museveni-associate-suggests

30 Years of Broken Promises: Besigye Juggernaut "Difficult" to Stop, Says Gen. Museveni Associate

By Vincent Magombe

Skeptical Ugandans continue bracing for plan B, which is total defiance against Gen. Yoweri Museveni regime's vote rigging.

As they realize that the Ugandan dictator who has ruled the East African nation for close to 30 years has no plan to leave power voluntarily, even when the majority of Ugandans vote overwhelmingly against him in the February 18 elections as in past elections.

He has always defied the results by having his hand-picked Electoral Commission headed by Badru Kiggundu who announces prepared results as Gen. David Sejusa, the country's former coordinator of intelligence services revealed when he stated that Dr. Kizza Besigye actually won the 2006 elections with over 60% of the vote.

The justification for a Plan B, a legitimate mass defiance against the Museveni regime should he rig elections, has also been and continues to be the gross violations of citizens' rights, in form of wanton arrests, kidnappings, and even killings of opposition activists.

Amnesty International and Human Rights denounced abuses and called for Gen. Kale Kahiyura to suspend the Crime Prevention pro-Museveni militias. Instead in today's The Daily Monitor Kayihura says opponents of these militias, and the international human rights organizations should "go hang."

There are disruptions of opposition campaign activities, misuse of state security organs including the police and army in widespread rigging of the national vote and intimidation of voters, and tampering with the voter registers with intent to skew the vote in favor of Museveni. Many critics, including Gen. Sejusa, chairman of Free Uganda has declared that the February 18 vote is already rigged.

Regional players are following the Ugandan vote closely. The respected The East African newspaper today came up with the clearest supposition that Gen. Museveni's 30 year rule in Uganda may be heading for a miserable end.

The Nairobi-based newspaper shows, through a sober and well-balanced analysis, that Dr. Kizza Besigye's support in the rural areas is rising at an astronomical speed, and all indications are that the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) flag-bearer is on course to sweep the vote even in the rural areas where Museveni was previously thought to have strong following. Dr. Besigye has always had a lock on urban votes.

To quote the East African "...Forum for Democratic Change flag-bearer Kizza Besigye is closing the gap with the leading contender NRM's President Yoweri Museveni, especially in the areas where he has been campaigning in recent weeks." Please see "Besigye now woos voters in Eastern Uganda as he closes in on incumbent" (The East African, Saturday, January 23 2016).

The newspaper, considered as the region's version of "The Economist" goes on to showcase the Eastern Ugandan region, where "Dr. Besigye's campaign has gained steam and attracted big crowds to its rallies — first in the Elgon area, and this past week in the sub regions of Busoga and Bukedi."

Of course all Ugandans have witnessed incredible mammoth crowds everywhere Dr. Kizza Besigye has visited in recent weeks. Who can forget the crowds in Arua, Acholi, Sebei, even Karamoja sub-regions, which spread to beyond where the eyes could see.

Even in less visible districts, like Bukwo, where some over-enthusiastic NRM cadre police commanders violently dispersed Dr. Kizza Besigye's meetings with local residents, the outcome was a public display of disdain for Museveni and a near-universal swing of support to Besigye by unbowed locals.

After the ugly incidents in Bukwo, which saw live bullets fired at the crowds and Dr. Kizza Besigye and all his senior colleagues tear gassed, with some FDC members wounded, the NRM Chairman of Bukwo District went public and swore allegiance to Besigye's FDC. This Ugandan patriot cited the NRM regime's violent repression and intimidation of local residents. He also pointed to the Museveni regime's broken promises to deliver services as the reasons why the majority of Bukwo District locals would now vote for the opposition rather than Mr. Museveni's NRM party.

In the Central and Western regions of Uganda - there is now little doubt that Museveni is having a very bad day trying to maintain any semblance of support in these two critical regions. Just like in Bukwo district, determinant factors in the rapid swing of support from Museveni to the opposition are the broken promises.

The East African newspaper quotes Captain Mike Mukula, the man who donated a helicopter to Gen. Museveni to use during this campaign and who in the past has stubbornly refused to acknowledge any possibility of an opposition victory in Uganda, now declaring publicly that it may be difficult for Museveni to turn around the astronomical Besigye-rise to power given the countrywide feelings of dissatisfaction and frustration with failed NRM service delivery.

"...Soroti municipality legislator Mike Mukula, who is also the National Resistance Movement vice-chairman for eastern Uganda, said it will be difficult for the ruling party to stop the Besigye juggernaut," reads The East African. "He attributes Dr. Besigye and FDC's gains to the disaffection and contradictions that divided in the party after the chaotic NRM primaries in October 2015, as well as to prominent FDC MPs from Eastern Uganda."

Simply put, the people of Uganda, including those within the NRM party, are just tired of this one-man and one-family rule.

Ugandans, justifiably, are:

Tired of 30 years of dictatorial and despotic rule that is firmly anchored on vagrant disrespect for the country's Constitution.

Tired of violent repression and "smashing" of any form of political dissent and anti-regime criticisms by security forces whose members salaries are paid for by Ugandan tax-payers, including Gen. Kayihura's Crime Preventers.

Tired of living in a police state, where regime violence, against innocent citizens is a norm, and where our sisters and mothers are publicly humiliated and undressed by Gen. Kayihura's police force.

Tired of unexplained and uninvestigated deaths of of anyone who would dare criticize Gen. Museveni, including senior leaders like Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, Dr. Lutakome Andrew Kayiira, Member of Parliament Ms. Cerinah Nebanda, and many others.

Tired of how the ego-maniacal Gen. Museveni disrespects all Ugandans by: boycotting a Presidential candidates' campaign; by claiming Uganda's oil deposits belong to him; and by claiming he's the "only Ugandan with a vision."

Tired of gross corruption which robs our children of funds that could go into schools, scholarships, hospitals, and housing -- even funds meant to fight HIV/Aids and Tuberculosis were stolen and for hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm). In the latter case, while Gen. Museveni was hosting Queen Elizabeth II at the same time donors' funds for the conference was being siphoned off.

Tired of un-built hospitals and run-down hospitals without medicine like Abim.

Tired of children going to study under trees, with no pens, books or blackboards.

Tired of a President who flies in a $50 million Gulf stream jet and lives in palatial State Houses while our police force are housed in thatch-roofed huts.

Tired of 30 years of unfulfilled promises.

The role played by presidential candidate Mr. Amama Mbabazi, former prime minister and NRM Secretary General in denting Gen. Museveni's support dynamics within NRM is a becoming a critical factor in the rise of the growing countrywide support for the opposition.
It's a clear ingredient in the tectonic collapse of support for the ailing Museveni regime.

Even insiders such as Mr. Tamale Mirundi, who until recently was Gen. Museveni's vocal spokesperson, now contend that Mr. Mbabazi has cleverly outmaneuvered Gen. Museveni within the NRM party structures and even in the government and party leadership circles including among youth.

Opposition now know that working with Mbabazi, rather than against Mbabazi, is a path to Museveni's defeat.

Ugandans are know they can do better for their country.

While there is growing hope within FDC for an outright Besigye win in the first round of the vote on Feb. 18, close Besigye campaign strategists are also preparing for a possible second round opposition coalition against Museveni. A new poll indicates Gen. Museveni's support has dropped to 51%; the figures will continue to dip and by election time should be under the 50% level which would require a runoff.

http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42223-poll-shows-museveni-won-t-ge...

In that scenario, a Senegal-type unity of purpose between all opposition candidates, including Mr. Amama Mbabazi, would no doubt bring resounding victory to the country's opposition forces.

Gen. Museveni during one of his campaign events claimed he would not hand over power regardless of the outcome of the vote. His foreign supporters in London and Washington must condemn that statement.

As Rabba Naga, a senior Ugandan regime insider has put it: "If Mr. Museveni intended to hand over power, he would not have turned the issue of an independent electoral commission into one of life and death. He wants Mr. Kiggundu (Badru Kiggundu the Electoral Commission Chairman) for a purpose, and that purpose must be fulfilled no matter the cost. At least that is Mr. Museveni's calculation unless Ugandans stop him."

Should he follow through with his threats Gen. Museveni would be declaring war against Ugandans.

Ugandans won't allow any single person to stop the nation's badly needed renewal and rebirth, having gone through a traumatic 30-year long Museveni regime.

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Milton Allimadi, Publisher/CEO
The Black Star News

www.blackstarnews.com

P.O. Box 1472

New York, N.Y., 10274

(646) 261-7566

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