Pafo, Parties to Form Coalition
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The Monitor (Kampala)
June 28, 2004
Posted to the web June 28, 2004
Mwanguhya Charles Mpagi
Kampala
The leaders of the Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (Pafo), and the seven mainstream
opposition parties have started negotiations to form a coalition ahead of the 2006
elections.
The groups plan to formulate a policy framework for the way forward and a joint
technical committee to review their differences.
They plan to intensify coordinated campaigns and activities aimed at thwarting efforts
by the Movement government to stay in power beyond 2006.
The Monitor has learnt that Pafo and the G7 held a secret meeting on June 21 at the
NDF headquarters in Nakasero. A source at the meeting said, "The G7 and Pafo agreed to
focus on how they can jointly come out with the best plan for removing the current
roadblocks to holding free and fair elections and establishing true multiparty
democracy in Uganda."
Pafo is a pressure group mainly of MPs opposed to government plans to amend Article
105 (2) of the constitution, which would provide indefinite eligibility for a
presidency.
The G7 is comprised of the seven mainstream opposition groups which include the Uganda
People's Congress, the Democratic Party, the Conservative Party, the Reform Agenda,
the National Democrats Forum, the Justice Forum Party and The Free Movement.
Sources say Pafo is selling a plan to form a political party that would register and
push its political plan while the group remains a pressure group in parliament mainly
for mobilisation purposes.
The proposed name is the People's Democratic Movement (PDM). The groups meet again
today to finalise details among which is a proposal that two or more groups can start
on the coalition plan and "others can join later."
The June 21 talks were aimed at ironing out bickering within the opposition ranks and
making final preparations for a possible coalition, a source said.
The meeting was attended by UPC Presidential Policy Commission Chairman Dr James
Rwanyarare, DP President General Dr. Paul Ssemogerere, NDF Chairman Mr Karuhanga
Chapaa, Imaam Kasozi for Jeema, Dr. Okullo Epak and the chairman, Mr Augustine
Ruzindana,who represented Pafo, the deputy chairman Reform Agenda, Mr Sam Njuba and Mr
Jack Sabiiti of Pafo.
Rwanyarare said yesterday, "We met and agreed mainly on two things; how to work
together and formulating a common political agenda. How we are going to implement is
what we are going to thrash out tomorrow (Monday)." Njuba said, "We agreed to
cooperate in our opposition to the dictatorship."
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Karuhanga chaired the meeting. He told this reporter that the meeting discussed the
political situation and how to counter it. "We discussed the realities that Museveni
is determined to use unconstitutional and underhand methods to carry out a referendum
in order to change the constitution and give himself a life presidency," he said on
phone yesterday.
Ruzindana, said the groups met to discuss the current political situation in the
country. "We will issue an official statement after that (meeting), since the Kiyonga
group has signed a pact with the G12, we need to plan on how to move forward. The next
[political] phase is very crucial so we need to work together," he said in a telephone
interview.
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