UGANDA PEOPLES CONGRESS NATIONAL SECRETARIAT
Plot8-10 Kampala Road, Uganda House, P.o Box 9206, Kampala Phone/Fax:
+256-41-236748
22nd/10/2006
PRESS STATEMENT
CONSTITUTIONAL AND DEMOCRATIC
GOVERNANCE STILL ELUDES UGANDA
1. Uganda Peoples Congress notes with great concern the current
political situation prevailing in the country. The brutal dispersing of FDC
rally that was supposed to be held at Constitutional Square, the resignation of
National Forestry Officials, the unfinished negotiation with the striking
Makerere University lecturers, the promise by UPDF to publish the NRA bush war
story and the selective prosecution of corrupt government officials while
leaving the big fish at large needs serious scrutiny.
2. The UPC as a political party that fought for the restoration of
multiparty democracy in Uganda is no stranger to the NRM quasi- military
tactics of harassing and persecuting members of the opposition political
parties. In January 2003, while trying to exercise our constitutional rights to
make a contribution towards the fight against global terrorism, we were chased
from Constitutional Square to our offices here where a journalism student
Higenyi was shot dead by black mambas in LDU uniforms.
3. The decline in constitutional and democratic exercise of powers by
various state institutions and organs such as the Police, UPDF and paramilitary
organizations including violent crime crack unit proves the fact that, the
political transition from Movement system of governance to Multiy Party System
has been a hoax. The Police action against the FDC leadership and their
supporters on Saturday November 18 th was so disgraceful and unconstitutional
that it desecrated and made a mockery of the significance and name of the
venue, Constitutional Square .
4. The statements issued by the LC3 Chairman for Central division in
Kampala city, Mr.Godfrey Nyakana and the police spokesman Mr. Edward Ochom that
they have banned political parties rallies in Central division and
Constitutional Square in particular, are unconstitutional and not only
tantamount to arbitrary exercise of power but completely negates the very
essence of the change of name from City Square to Constitutional Square. This
abuse of power proves that we have a written constitution but without the
principle of constitutionalism.
A) Where does Mr.Nyakana and Mr.Ochom derive their powers from to ban
political activities in Constitutional Square and Central division Kampala?
B) Which laws are they applying that supersede the constitutional
provision enshrined in the Bill of Rights, chapter four of the 1995
constitution and Political Parties and Organizations Act?
C) Where will Mr.Nyakana and other politicians from Central division
including Members of Parliament carry their political activities from if not
from Central division?
5. This trend of blocking opposition members is a continued culture of
the NRM even among the local leaders in Uganda . For example, the LC3 Chairman
of Petta Sub County in Tororo District issued a stern directive to the UPC
Constituency Secretary of West Budama North stopping the Chairman of the
Constituency from carrying out a meeting with the party members unless he
obtains permission from the RDC. Where does the LC3 Chairman derive his powers
from to stop opposition meetings in a multiparty democracy? Which law gives the
RDC power to withhold or grant permission to hold political meetings or
rallies?
6. The prosecution of Mr.Onegi Obel by the IGG and the subsequent
summoning of former Minister for Labor, Gender and Social Development Zoe
Bakoko Bakoru by the same court is a positive move. However there are several
earlier corruption reports implicating big political shots from western Uganda
that have never been acted upon. The collapse of Uganda Railways under Mr.Enos
Tumusiime and the Justice Ogoola report implicating the former Minister Jim
Muhwezi have been shelved. Why the selective sectarian prosecution?
7. The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces has also fallen into this trap of
violating the newly passed UPDF Act which recreates it from a rag tag NRA bush
guerrillas with personal allegiance to President Museveni to a national army
supposed to be subordinate to civilian authority. How can the UPDF claim to be
the only repository of the true account of the experiences and activities of
the NRA guerrilla rebels in Luwero Triangle which events took place before the
UPDF was born?
8. It's clear as stated before by the UPC that we do not have a national
army in Uganda today but only personal army whose leadership comes from one or
two counties in Western Uganda. The UPDF must realize that we are now in a
multiparty democracy and the dictatorship of the UPDF High Command will be
vigorously challenged and resisted.
9. The Uganda Peoples Congress urges the government of President
Museveni to engage in long-term planning to entrench the Rule of Law and
Constitutionalism where state institutions are regulated and governed according
to the established laws. They should also create a climate of political
maturity where political parties can freely operate in order to consolidate
multiparty democracy.
For God and My Country
Mama Miria Kalule Obote
President, Uganda Peoples Congress
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