By Emmanuel N. Mugarura
Jan 19, 2004
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KAMPALA - Defence minister Amama Mbabazi has said he is ready to stand for president in 2006. But he quickly added that his candidature will depend on the National Resistance Movement's wish. "I'm ready to serve if am called upon to serve the people of Uganda," Mr Mbabazi said while appearing on Monitor FM's 'Straight From the Heart' programme yesterday. "Am available if anyone thought am capable of serving, I'll be willing to," he added. Mbabazi said all the jobs he has done in government before have been by appointment because people see him capable of leading them. "I have never applied for a job. I am appointed to serve and I serve to my ability," he said. Mbabazi said the country has gone beyond the level of a coup d'etat and if anyone staged it, he or she would not keep power for a day. "The only way [to gain power] is to win people's mandate," he said. He was responding to a question by the programme host, Desree Barlow, whether the current court martial trial of army officers arose from fear that they could have had plans of carrying out a coup. He said that contrary to what people think that the UPDF pays its allegiance to President Museveni, the army has been professionalised and many people now look at it as a source of employment. "The picture of the army has changed and we continue to make those changes because we are committed to see changes," Mbabazi said. Asked about Museveni's intention to contest for another term in 2006, Mbabazi said if the people want a leader, there should not be any impediment. "Our duty is to make sure that they [people] like the person they choose to lead them. I have never believed in term limits because they restrict you," he argued. The Constitution limits a President to serve two terms of five years each. But there is an ongoing debate to amend the Constitution to remove the limits. He said as the leader of the Movement caucus in the Constituent Assembly, he had lobbied to exclude the limits clause from the Constitution, but he lost to the majority. "But now that we have the chance again, we should use it," he said, referring to the current debate on removal of term limits. |
� 2004 The Monitor Publications
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