{UAH} Museveni - Besigye III (PART 3)

Museveni - Besigye III (PART 3)

• November 10, 2010
• Written by joomlasupport

Museveni defends Saleh, pins Besigye on junk choppers

 

In the third part of our series on the 10-year contest for power between President Museveni and Dr Kizza Besigye, Michael Mubangizi recounts Besigye's first declaration of intention to contest for the presidency and the reaction that this announcement drew.

Following a lot of speculation regarding what his next move would be, now that he was retiring from the army after publically lambasting the government, Dr Kizza Besigye finally ended the hearsay when he announced that he would stand for president.

In his declaration made in a press release issued on Saturday, October 28, 2000, Besigye said:
"I, Col (Rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye, having considered the state of our nation, have decided that I will offer myself to the service of our country as a presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections."

Besigye said his participation in the elections was meant to refocus Uganda's leadership. 
"I have over the years advocated in all available fora for an administration that is progressively democratic, accountable, equitable and transparent," he wrote.

Besigye added: "Unfortunately, our effort was met with arrogant intransigence which has turned into open hostility…..as a result, we have been derailed from our mission and objectives for which sacrifice was made.

The country is now witnessing apathy and despondency owing to endless and increasing civil conflicts, cronyism, sectarianism, corruption in government, selfishness and intolerance resulting into restrictive political environment and arbitrary rule."

Besigye also lamented about the poverty, social injustice and regional instability. 
"In view of the above," he wrote in his statement, "I call upon all Ugandans to support me for the (presidency). Together we can redirect the course of our country."

The announcement, Besigye admitted, was partly fast-tracked by his feared arrest. Indeed he told this newspaper in an article titled "I feared being poisoned while in Luzira Prison" that was published on February 8-14, 2007, that his announcement came a day after the security forces tried to arrest him.

"The day before I announced I was going to challenge President Museveni in 2000, they tried to arrest me…they thought I was mobilising, which I was, but I wasn't mobilising illegally.

I was mobilising that people should indeed go ahead and challenge President Museveni. I was talking to many people, saying 'please, let's have a challenge against this.' I think they did not want me to continue doing that, so they planned to arrest me."

Besigye told this newspaper that he escaped arrest because those sent to arrest him didn't find him where they thought he was.

"They came to arrest me at Speke Hotel where we were supposed to have a meeting…Then I was faced with a dilemma; either I had to run away if I did not want to be arrested or I had to confront them head-on. I chose the latter."

Mixed reactions

People reacted differently to Besigye's presidential ambitions. Security minister Amama Mbabazi, accused him of trying to "jump the queue," which has since become a common phrase in Uganda's political speak.

Both Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi and Kahinda Otafiire said Besigye's ambitions were good for democracy.
In a press statement issued early November 2000, President Museveni said that Besigye's stand was proof of flourishing democracy in Uganda.

The President, however, accused Besigye of indiscipline and intrigue. 
"He has without consulting any Movement organ declared himself a Movement candidate, although it is well known that he is in close collaboration with multi-partyists," Museveni said.

He added that Besigye's candidature had potential to create minor problems for the Movement, like dividing it. He said the situation left the Movement with two options;

"Either to adopt Col Besigye as a sole candidate, having imposed himself on the Movement following clandestine, conspiratorial consultations with some unknown personalities…or field other Movement persons in a political field where there are already two multiparty candidates."

The 2001 presidential election campaign also had Muhammad Mayanja Kibirige, Francis Bwengye, Chapaa Karuhanga and Aggrey Awori as candidates.

President Museveni further lamented in his statement: "Why should a disciplined Movementist do this? Why didn't Col Besigye and his 'leading Movement personalities' extend these consultations to include everybody with either Besigye or anybody else who would be more appropriate than the incumbent?"

He added: "This is either indiscipline or intrigue on the part of Col Besigye and those 'leading Movement personalities' that have been clandestinely conclaving on such important issues, including the future leadership of the country."

We reported in our first part of these series that Besigye met key Movement personalities, including Amanya Mushega, Eriya Kategaya, James Wapakhabulo and Bidandi Ssali before announcing his candidature.

These, however, advised him to let Museveni finish what he had said was to be his last term, long before the Constitution was amended to enable him carry on.

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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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