FDC Takes Case to Blair
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The Monitor (Kampala)
DOCUMENT
May 26, 2005
Posted to the web May 26, 2005
Dear Prime Minister,
Re: Congratulations on Your historic Re-election Victory.
Sir, we write with express instructions from the Interim Chairman of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Uganda's main opposition political party, Col. (Rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye, to congratulate you and the Labour Party upon it's re-election for a historic 3rd term in office. It was indeed a monumental achievement that left all pro-democracy forces around the world, including us in FDC, dreaming of the day true democracy will visit our fair land.
May we also convey our Chairman's gratitude to Her Majesty's government for its symbolic action, at FDC's request, of withholding �5million worth of aid to Uganda owing to the Uganda government's failure to meet the benchmarks agreed to facilitate a smooth transition from a monolithic one party state to a pluralistic and democratic political dispensation; something that is clearly unachievable in the current climate for a number of reasons including the following.
Constitutionally, the country is so divided that the vast majority of Ugandans have been locked out of the political process. 1.8million people are trapped in internally displaced people's camps living in sub-human standards. Those outside the camps across the country who dare to demand for their constitutional rights to participate in the politics of their country are labelled as terrorists, charged with treason and locked away for at least 365 days before they can apply for bail.
The UK Foreign Office Human Rights Report 2004, the US State department and the Human Rights Watch Report 2004, "State of Pain and Torture in Uganda" have been particularly instructive in their recognition of these problems.
Already, The Monitor Newspaper of 10th May 2005 quoted Mr. Ali Gabe Akida from FDC's human rights desk as saying up to 66 officials and supporters of FDC, including two MP's, have been arrested and jailed on trumped up treason and other criminal charges.
Indeed, owing to this trend of events, our Chairman, who is himself in exile for practically the same reasons, expressed his reluctance to run again in the forthcoming elections in 2006 and risk the violence he faced in the 2001 elections he contested by saying, "Anybody who thinks there is going to be an election worth its name in 2006 is a daydreamer. I would never lend my name to such a futile exercise". "Whoever engages in it (election) must engage with the realistic view that it will be a fraud".
He added that, "Rather than look at elections, we should focus on reform. We should agitate for reform. Our energies shouldn't be diverted by electoral efforts. "We should be fighting for reforms". "Many people think that they can win. I am not bothered about which candidate. I rule myself out of any election without meaningful reform," (The Monitor Newspaper of 10th May 2005).
Mr. Prime Minister Sir, the reforms that Dr. Kizza Besigye and FDC are talking about are ones that any true democrat would easily recognise and for which FDC urgently seeks the indulgence of Her Majesty's government under your leadership to ensure:
i) A complete demilitarisation of politics and especially the disbanding of all illegal paramilitary organisations like the Kalangala Action Plan (KAP) that openly support the government.
ii) A comprehensive re-organisation of the Electoral Commission to make totally independent of executive influence as is the case today with president being the supreme appointing authority.
iii) To beef up the capacity of the police force to solely take charge of policing any elections in the country without the need for the army to be involved.
iv) To outlaw the commercialisation of politics by way of using state resources to bribe voters and also fund the Movement Secretariat that technically does not exist for reasons given in paragraph (d) hereunder.
v) To do whatever is possible to immediately end the insecurity in northern and eastern Uganda to allow for the population in camps to fully participate in the political process of the nation.
Mr. Prime Minister Sir, The Commission for Africa commitments laid down under your leadership relating to good governance are being put to the test in Uganda as was indeed observed by one of the Commissioners on the said Commission, Sir Bob Geldof, who inter alia, called for President Museveni of Uganda to simply leave the stage. All signs are that President Museveni is determined to cling to power by all means; and here is why!
a) He has consistently refused to publicly rule himself out or declare his intention to participate in the forthcoming elections in 2006 and thus creating an unhealthy climate of uncertainty.
b) He has offered his personal and financial support to the tune of Uganda Shillings 1billion to the notorious Kalangala Action Plan (KAP), an illegal paramilitary organisation that was credited for all the violence in the 2001 elections and whose proclaimed objective is to fight for a return to the Movement system of governance in Uganda.
c) Recently, up to 200 Movement MP's, elected under the Movement system of governance that conscripted them into it by law, signed up to membership of the same shadowy organisation, KAP.
d) President Museveni, against all advice, local and international, has insisted on taking the country through a referendum likely to cost up to 30billion shillings in the name of seeking the people's views regarding the change from the Movement political system that, owing to a couple of court decisions, no longer exists in law and fact.
In a nutshell, it is going to be a transition from the Movement system that no longer exists, to a multi-party democracy that already exists in law and fact by operation of the Political Parties and Organisations Act 2002 (PPOA 2002).
e) In our considered opinion, the sole purpose of this referendum exercise is simply to manipulate and obtain the "people's" decision to bring back the Movement system of governance through the back door and thus claim legitimacy for President Museveni's openly professed preference for the Movement system of governance while paying lip-service to the case for the consolidation of multi-party politics in Uganda.
f) How do they intend to do this? By avoiding any mention of the National Resistance Movement - Organisation (NRM-O), the government's own political party registered under the PPOA 2002, during the referendum campaigns and only talking of the "Movement" to confuse the electorate into voting for the Movement system of governance.
Why else, Prime Minister, would the NRM-O, the first political party to be registered in Uganda under the PPOA 2002 not have branches anywhere in the country to-date while FDC, a late comer, now having branches in almost half the districts of Uganda. And it must be remembered, this referendum is supposed to be legally binding on all institutions of state.
Mr. Prime Minister Sir, FDC is the most responsible, credible and capable alternative to the Movement government. When FDC called on Her Majesty's government to suspend aid to Uganda, it had convinced itself beyond the reasonable doubt that it would not make the slightest difference to the ordinary peasants and those in internally displaced people's camps who make the majority in Uganda. It is only the corrupt government officials who would feel the pinch and their response condemning your government's action was thus predictable.
FDC is convinced that a further suspension of aid to Uganda would make the message louder and clearer. FDC calls upon you to use your influence in the EU and impending chairmanship of the G8, to convince Uganda's other development partners to follow suit and suspend aid to Uganda.
FDC is convinced that, given his government's predictable reaction to the initial suspension of aid, a further suspension of even more aid will force President Museveni to agree to a national dialogue with all stakeholders in the country to agree on fundamental issues upon which the political future of Uganda precariously hinges if we are to avoid the inevitable resort to violence; which is something that FDC considers undesirable and avoidable at the moment.
Other than that, it would of-course seriously make a mockery of the ideals of the Commission for Africa that you initiated and seriously dent your personal legacy over Uganda as you prepare to leave office in an orderly, predictable, and transparent manner. FDC too wishes for Uganda nothing less than this.
While the Movement government appears to have finally abandoned any pretence to diplomacy and bilateral co-operation with the British government in favour of confrontation and blackmail, FDC is offering a hand of friendship in mutual partnership in development, peace and security and above all, political stability.
Thank you very much!
Yours sincerely,
Sam A. Akaki,
FDC UK Co-ordinator.
Charles Ochen Okwir,
Interim Secretary General,
FDC's main demands
More suspension of aid to force President Museveni to agree to a national dialogue,
Wants Blair to use his influence in the EU and impending chairmanship of the G8, to convince other development partners to suspend aid to Uganda.
Demilitarisation of politics.
Comprehensive re-organisation of the Electoral Commission,
Improvement and beefing up the capacity of the police force,
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Outlaw the commercialisation of politics by way of using state resources to bribe voters,
Help end the insecurity in northern and eastern Uganda.
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