{UAH} Allan/Gook/Pojim/WBK: Besigye, Kadaga face-off at UNAA

http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/46347-besigye-kadaga-face-off-at-unaa

Besigye, Kadaga face-off at UNAA

Written by Sadab Kitatta Kaaya

Created: 09 September 2016

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga addressinf UNAA delegates

One memorable highlight of the just-concluded Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) convention in the US was the debate in which Col Kizza Besigye shared the spotlight with both speakers of parliament, Rebecca Kadaga and Jacob Oulanyah.

The former FDC presidential candidate was a panelist at the political platform; one of the highlights of the annual UNAA convention at Boston Park hotel on September 3. Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, her deputy Jacob Oulanyah, Alfred Nam, an official from the Ugandan embassy in Washington, and Martin Byakuleka, who represented

Ugandans in the diaspora, were the other panelists. For a while, organizers thought Besigye would skip the debate. To get Kadaga on the panel, they had to assure her that no one planned to pelt her with rotten eggs.

According to a source at the convention, Kadaga had been tipped off that some participants, angered by events in Uganda, planned to protest against her presence by pelting Kadaga with eggs.

"We are very civil…Even though we may not like the government that much, we are very comfortable with you; we do not think you are part of it," Byakuleka told Kadaga moments before the debate started.

Besigye's seat between Oulanyah and Byakuleka remained empty for a while before he walked on to the stage to take on the government delegation. Before Besigye's entry, Byakuleka had called for an end to the political impasse brought on by the disputed February 18 presidential election in Uganda.

"There's a political impasse, a belligerent government, which didn't win the elections fairly. Government is legal but there is a resistance called defiance. The interplay of forces between government and the opposition is draining time and resources," Byakuleka said.
BESIGYE SPEAKS

Besigye first gave a recount of events from election day to his arrest and detention in various facilities across the country.

"I was arrested after casting my vote and I was held under illegal detention from February 19 to May 11 when I freed myself [and] I wasn't free to access my lawyers and the courts," Besigye said.

The events that followed the elections, Besigye said, cast doubt on the constitutionality of the process that gave President Museveni a fifth elective presidential term.

One of the NRM MPs in the audience urged Besigye to respect the election results. But Besigye countered that NRM would not have come to power if they hadn't disputed the 1980 election results.

"The NRM and Mr Museveni wouldn't be in government today if Museveni had not defied an outcome of a bad election; an election should be a good one," Besigye said.

"All observer mission reports showed that the [February 2016] election was a sham," Besigye added.

Kizza Besigye addressing UNAA delegates

He went on to criticize parliament for being wasteful. He wondered why so many MPs had to travel to Boston for the convention. There are conflicting figures; some say 30 and others say 78 MPs attended the convention. 

"One MP or someone from the embassy would be enough to attend and report about it [the convention]," Besigye said.

He said the money spent to facilitate the MPs and other government officials could have been used to improve service delivery in the health and education sectors.
KADAGA RESPONDS

Besigye was backed up by musician Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine who listed the rotting schools and health centres near Kasangati in Wakiso district plus Nakaseke hospital.

Defending their trip, Oulanyah said travelling MPs were funded by parliament because the convention was budgeted for by parliament and, therefore, there was no infringement on the health sector budget.

Picking from her deputy's submission, Kadaga hit at Bobi Wine, wondering whether the musician had actually ever visited Nakaseke hospital, which he claimed was neglected.

Kadaga said Nakaseke was one of the hospitals recently refurbished with World Bank support. Kadaga also defended the country's democratic credentials, arguing that since Uganda has held elections every after five years since 1996, the democratic path is clear.

"In 2016, we had eight presidential candidates; Museveni won with over 5m votes, FDC about [3m] votes...to claim to have won, you need support from the grassroots. They [FDC] got only 36 MPs and NRM over 260MPs [plus] about 95 percent of local government leadership. Where is FDC's basis for having won the election?" Kadaga asked.

She also watered down suggestions that the country is facing a political impasse. She said if there was an impasse, nothing would be going on. She added that the inclusion of opposition figures such as Kampala minister Beti Kamya and minister of state for Youths and Children Affairs Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi in President Museveni's cabinet was reflective of an all-inclusive government.

Kampala Central MP Muhammad Nsereko also took a swipe at Besigye's defiance campaign. He said that when FDC MPs agreed to take up seats in the 10th Parliament, they legitimized the February 18 elections.

"They should have defied parliament," Nsereko said. "The [campaign for] defiance should use a persuasive language so that others can join and follow you, [but] not recruit forcefully," he said. 

Oulanyah who had earlier told another meeting, the Northern Uganda forum, not to accept fresh calls for war in the north, asked opposition politicians to tread with caution in their defiance campaign.

"Which choices are we making as Ugandans to move the country forward? What contribution are you making to Uganda?" the former opposition figure wondered.
sadabkk@observer.ug

Besigye, Kadaga face-off at UNAA

http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/46347-besigye-kadaga-face-off-at-unaa

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.