UGANDA PEOPLES CONGRESS
National Party Headquarters
Plot 8-10 Kampala Road, Uganda House, P. O. Box 37047, Kampala,
phone/Fax:+256-41-236748
8/10/2008
Press statement
LET US REVIVE THE INDEPENDENCE AGENDA
1. Tomorrow the 9th of October, 2008, Uganda will celebrate
46 years as an independent nation. At the Kololo Independence grounds, at
State House and at various district venues, the NRM leaders, handlers,
conscripts and beneficiaries of its corruption and patronage will at public
expense celebrate and highlight the "achievements" of independent Uganda
under the NRM led by its "visionary" leader.
2. These celebrations will be hollow for the majority of the
people of Uganda who live and labour under extreme poverty. For the millions
of children and young people who have no access to any worthwhile education,
who die of preventable diseases and who have no prospects of meaningful
employment, the day will be marked in a sombre mood. For the hundreds of
thousands of households that can barely afford one decent meal a day and
who have no access to clean water, decent shelter and basic medical care;
independence is a long lost cause. For the peasants who sell their produce at
throw away prices to unscrupulous middlemen, independence is a far cry.
3. The mood tomorrow throughout Uganda shall be subdued and
not full of hope and vigor as was the case when UPC leaders received the
instruments of independence in a truly momentous occasion. The UPC captured
the vision and aspirations of independent Uganda. At independence, the people
of Uganda aspired to take charge of their destiny by squarely confronting
the unholy trinity of poverty, ignorance and disease. Poverty bred
ignorance and disease which in turn reinforced poverty. It was a vicious
cycle, a poverty trap.
4. The first UPC administration informed by social
democratic ideals took bold steps to establish and expand a people
centered economy and polity. The UPC government aggressively pursued
economic policies that ensured that the majority of the population was
involved in the mainstream economy through improved agriculture, industry,
trade quality health care and education; and an Africanized public service.
Millions were lifted from the poverty trap through the mixed economy model
where private enterprises, cooperatives and public enterprises complimented
each other on the basis of well planned and cost effective social and
economic infrastructure put in place by government.
5. Most of the UPC's economic and social achievements were
laid to waste during the military dictatorship of Idi Amin. Painfully and under
UPC leadership, the people of Uganda regained their independence in 1979 and
the following year elected the UPC, on the basis of its record, to re-launch
the independence agenda. Under the Rehabilitation Program (1980-1982) and
the Revised Recovery Program (1982-1984) the UPC was able to reverse much
of the losses of the 1970's and to revive the fight against ignorance,
poverty and disease. Those who care to look at the statistics objectively can
attest to the successful revival of agriculture industry, trade, tourism, the
civil service, education, health, transport and other sectors of the economy in
only four (4) years. The Pearl of Africa was surely beginning to rise and
shine.
6. These four (4) years of a steady recovery and growth were
interrupted by the return of the rule of men under arms. It has been a painful
23 years of mostly NRM one party cum military dictatorship. The
people-centered mixed economy model of the UPC was abandoned and replaced
by a parasitic and corruption driven economy where patronage and corruption
are the basis of economic action. Although Uganda is supposed to be a free
market economy, it is in reality a State House regulated economy where
access to resources, jobs, education, public contracts and power are
distributed on the basis of patronage. The result is that even where there
are pockets of economic growth like in housing construction, only a few well
connected families have benefited. The majority of the people in Uganda are
living on the fringes of the economy from which they are deliberately
excluded by those billionaires that have built economic empires on the
wheels of patronage and corruption. For the majority of the peasants, the
working people and local business persons, there has been no significant human
development for the two decades of NRM misrule.
7. Today is not a day of lamentations but a day to resolve
together as the suffering people of Uganda to revive the agenda and ideals of
independence. Although our path is riddled with challenges, the people of
Uganda have what it takes to say no to those who for decades have subverted the
hope and vision of independence and replaced it with fear and apathy.
8. As it did at independence and with the anti-Amin
struggle, the UPC is ready and already active in the leadership to
liberate Uganda for the third time. What we ask from the people of Uganda is
their focused support so that we can overcome our fears and restore Uganda to a
people-centred government concerned and determined to revive the people's
aspirations and hopes so that once again extreme poverty, ignorance and disease
may be banished from our beautiful country. We trust that the people of Uganda
will stand up under UPC leadership to be counted as we mark 46 years of
independence. In the word of our National anthem, "Together we'll always
stand".
FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY.
Miria Kalule Obote
PARTY PRESIDENT
The Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"
Groupe de communication Mulindwas
"avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"_______________________________________________
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