Former Forum for Democratic Change President Rtd Col. Dr.Kiiza Besigye has told embattled sacked Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi to clarify his presidential ambitions to Ugandans and stop dilly-dallying around making statements.
Besigye who appeared on the 93.3 KFM Hot seat told Mbabazi to be clear like Gen. Sejusa who openly came out and told Ugandans that the ruling National Resistance Movement and President Museveni had deviated from the core principles that took them to the bush in 1981.
“Mbabazi unfortunately up until this time hasn’t come out to say what he supports, all we know he is interested in the presidency and we don’t know the kind of changes he wants to see in Uganda”, Besigye stated.
Besigye stressed that Mbabazi is already in the opposition and should behave as an opposition party member because after projecting his presidential ambition Museveni now treats him as an enemy.
He continued that if Mbabazi was to stand for President in 2016 he would have an uphill task convincing Ugandans because of the unfair laws that he championed as Prime Minister.
“Part of the obstacles that we continue to face as opposition are the unfair laws like the Public order Management bill and the phone tapping bill that Mr. Mbabazi championed when he was Prime Minister” he said.
Besigye further added that it would take Mr. Mbabazi a lot of effort to convince people that he is indeed Paul and not Saul and that he should be trusted to deliver on the new Uganda working together with everybody.
Besigye also criticized FDC Party president Mugisha Muntu for weakening the party adding that FDC risks losing it’s core supporters who are vibrant, bold and want to express themselves.
“FDC has it’s core supporters who are bold and want to actively engage the state in different party activities, this is what motivates them but unfortunately they have been demoralized because of lack of party activities” he stressed.
“Gen. Muntu’s strategy and view is that we should focus more on the “fence seaters” who don’t like the National Resistance Movement but who fear to come to FDC”, Besigye stated.
Besigye added that Muntu’s view is that people have been fearing to join FDC because of his militancy and aggressiveness which has been attracting the brutality of the NRM regime on FDC supporters.
He added that Muntu’s strategy is that FDC needs to reduce on what is seen as militancy and aggressiveness and reduce from what will attract the regime from attacking FDC supporters.
“Muntu says that we shouldn’t project the FDC visibly and that we should encourage our supporters to quietly hold small meetings in homes and that this will reduce on the aggressiveness from the regime and that this idea will eventually attract more supporters to the party” Besigye stated.
“I would feel happier if Gen. Muntu employed both strategies engaging the ‘fence seaters’ and also actively engaging the state in different party activities”, he continued.
He also revealed that the Forum for Democratic change is not just focusing on the removal of President Museveni from power but also to construct a new Uganda with a new set of rules, institutions and with actively engaged citizens.
“We are not just struggling to remove Museveni from power but to also have a new set of rules that guide the country, a free and fair constitutional and legal framework, institutions that everybody holds as theirs and citizens who actively participate in the affairs of the country” he further stressed.
He further continued that FDC is struggling to liberate the country from a small clique of people who have been controlling the country for a very long time. “What we have in Uganda today is a patriarch, monarchy and a neo-patrimonial regime that has been constructed over years” Besigye stated.
Besigye further continued that people fear to associate themselves with the opposition because the NRM regime has created fear among the people.
“Because the opposition has been projected as subversive very few people have the courage to support their parties openly. Leaders and elites fear to offer leadership because the costs of offering leadership in the opposition are extremely high” he remarked.
He continued that FDC doesn’t get very good candidates because people fear to stand as FDC Candidates.
Besigye added that many would want to stand as independents or worse still they would want to stand as NRM Candidates even when they abhor want the NRM does in order to have a chance to win an election.
Besigye also highlighted that the opposition has continuously faced media black-outs in upcountry radio stations.
“Here in Kampala we can talk freely but in upcountry radio stations the RDC can walk in the radio station and switch off the power when an opposition party member has been hosted” he stressed.
On electoral reforms Besigye said that the opposition would yield no positive result because of the on-going impunity in the country. He called on people who want to see change in Uganda to play an active role.
