Opposition leaders from across the political spectrum have today called for peaceful protest countrywide in order to secure fresh elections, after they rejected the February 18th poll results. The statement comes from four of the eight presidential candidates, Kizza Besigye, Olara Otunnu, Samuel Lubega and Norbert Mao. A fifth candidate, Abed Bwanika, is currently considering whether to add his name.
Outside the press conference riot police were heavily deployed, as Besigye for the first time called Ugandans onto the streets to protest against Museveni’s fourth election victory. Yesterday Kampala-wide elections were postponed after the discovery of mass rigging attributed to the NRM candidate Peter Sematimba.
In the joint statement the following ‘call to action’ was made:
Therefore the time is now for the people of Uganda to rise and peacefully protest against the outcome of the 2011 elections:
- Demand that no further fraudulent local elections be conducted by the existing partisan Electoral Commission.
- Reject any government that may be formed out of those sham elections.
- Demand that fresh, free and fair general elections be organised under the following minimal conditions: a) an independent, competent and representative Electoral Commission composed through criteria agreed to by all stakeholders be established; b) a clean voters’ register be compiled; c) a uniform method of voter identification be established; d) the UPDF, ISO and ESO and all paramilitary groups be withdrawn from providing security during elections – this function should be left to the police; e) illicit and massive deployment of money, most of it public funds to bribe voters, polling agents and election officials be stopped; f) all candidates be availed equal access to public media; g) and voter education be conducted.
- Sign the ‘Blue Book’ petition and other petitions and memoranda calling for free and fair elections.
Conclusion
We call upon all our leaders in every district to organise and address peaceful public rallies and marches to call for fresh elections under the terms above. We encourage all other peaceful and lawful actions by Ugandans everywhere, including the diaspora, to call for fresh elections.
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these are losers who want to blood of innocent Ugandans be shed on the basis of personal gains . Let they wait for 2016 with a better action plan. Go back and strategise Folks.
67% of the registered voted for M7 including ballot stuffing and multiple voting . ie 67% x 59% (8million out of 13.5 incl. ghost voters) which is 39 % . where is the 61%. This percentage is cleary low ie M7 does not have the numbers. If any thing this election would have been a re-run.
The media incl the Independent are striving to imply the opposition failed miserably , but with the numbers explained above its not the case. The message of change was well received and indeed people voted for KB ( ignore the manipulation of numbers by EC at nambole). NRMs strives to instill fear that the nation will be at war when opposition takes power, but the impact of a stollen election to the economy and quality of life is already being felt. What happened in the Pres. election has already been replicated in the ballot stuffing and multiple voting in the local elections of the 23rd Feb.
Food prices are aleady high, and state organs are working with local nrm structures to rig several local elections( so that thy rhyme with presidential faked result—all this is not good for the country— and the population is fed up. In addition,NRM sycomphants are all over incl. the private media, ( recall Kobushenga’s Star, Bukedde, New Vision Paper etc) unknown political analysts have cropped in recent times , all in the name of giving a spin by the media that the opposition is wrong, and that the opposition was fairly defeated at the recent presidential polls incl. the Indep. A lot of diversionaly information is put out on talk shows, news papers today about the FDC, UPC etc, while the NRM has not been able to “celebrate]” the stollen election as you may see everywhere( no one is jubilating just like it was in 1996, and this is causing them to get jittery.
On another note the army and police has fortunately been restrained from directly and actively ( by directly beating the opposition members ) getting involved but with the local elections today and manner in which the police and army handles the population, there handling of the population will determine a lot on the future course of political events in the country and will be the game changer.
Spencer,you can say that again!!
Why keep talking on what has already passed? If you are a sympathizer of IPC the advice is to go on ground cell to cell house to house organize 4 2016 and drop Besigye this time .
Yes, a clean election is desirable. But these losers are not making a strong economic consideration to back their proposal. What is a fresh election going to achieve- a different outcome really or just more expenditure?
Anyone who cares about Ugandans would rather tolerate a stolen election and only seek to influence government decisions for the next term. There are smarter ways of changing government behaviour without necessarily overhauling the leadership.In fact, the true test of opposition leadership is in how government responds to them.
Dun,you are not being real.can you imagine another 5 years of the same thing??can you really?/
ANYONE WHO CARES ABOUT UGANDA SHOULD CRAVE FOR CHANGE NOW,BEFORE THE THIEVES STEAL ALL THE TAX PAYER”S MONEY!!!
Nyabo,
I am not being apologetic here. But let’s face it; how much money is gonna be spent on repeating the election- and what’s the economic value of a fresh election?
If on the other hand, Opposition can firmly engage government in its conduct, by merely checking compliance with principles of modern administration, it (government) would either style up and lead more effectively (what you and I want) or quit (what the Opposition wants). But this will not be achieved through this idle activism!
Dun.
The issue of money cannot override the morality and integrity of the citizens. What is the use of money if you have to be a slave of a tryrrant like Museveni who has no conscious of a moral human being of intergrity, yet him and his wife claim to be saved Christians. Money does not buy the integrity and moral values of a human being. Any citizen who cares about Uganda can not and must not only think of money or the economy. The money you are talking about or the economy you are talking about is only working for Museveni and his misguided servants like you. Ugandans can not and must not allow themselves to be subjugated to the cancer of theft and manipulation which Museveni and the NRM have used as their immoral ways of control and getting rich while the rest of the population is very poor. Any serious Ugandan who cares about his/her country cannot allow Museveni to continue to abuse the citizens by openely misusing public money like the 20 millon used to bribe MPs . Education, Health, Infrastructure, etc in Uganda is very dilapidated, what economics are you talking about being the cost which people should consider. All Ugandans of good will should resist this illegal government, and Ugandans should demostrate to demand their human rights and freedom. This corruption should not be tolerated for another 5 years, lest Ugandans become more enslaved in their own country. Museveni went to the bush to fight corruption which he has used to rule this country for the last 25 years.
For the powerful who torment others there is always immense pain and suffering of a different kind: Museveni is now in immense pain because notable world leaders (Barack Obama, David Cameron, etc) have refused to call and personally congratulate him.
The seed of disaster and illegitimacy was sown when Museveni bribed parliamentarians to remove term limits.
He will for ever govern in pain until he runs out of lack!!
YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN!
Hmm Funny!! So All those that were elected as IPC and DP members should first stand down,then Mr Besigye,Olara,Mao and so on,lead us with your wives and children excluding bachelor otunu then we shall follow behind you,You Vampires
Am delighted by the call for peaceful protests and i strongly urge all those who support the opposition to join in them.
There was mainly calm during the presidential elections but even a thief can be silent, and am not even gonna get into what happened in Sironko.
I believe the opposition have done the right thing, we can not continue with business as usual. This country has so many historical grievances and therefore to start on a clean slate is the only way out.
Having said all this i doubt that Museveni will offer a helping hand, why should he? he oversees a powerful military oufit and has the government treasury at his disposal.
I find it confusing that the United Kingdom did not congratulate Museveni but the US did, and how about Barrack Obama’s total silence on Museveni.
We are going into uncharted waters the outcome of which i hope brings us all together as a nation, after all any sane Ugandan would want the pearl of Africa to soar with the Crested Crane flying high above all constraints.
Let the truth shine!!!!!
WHAT ABOUT THE MPS WHO WERE ELECTED ON OPPOSITION TICKETS,ARE THEY ALSO CALLING FOR FRESH ELECTIONS? TO BE HONEST WE DON’T HAVE SERIOUS OPPOSTION IN UGANDA,,THEY PLAY DOUBLE STANDARDS! IT’S VERY CLEAR THAT WHERE OPOSITION IS POPULAR,THEY WIN BUT WHERE NRM IS DOMINANT,HOW DO YOU REALLY EXPECT THEM TO WIN? THEY SHOULD NOT WASTE PEOPLE’S TIME ON ELECTIONS,OUR FAMILIES NEED TO EAT,WE NEED TO WORK! YOU WERE BRAGGING THAT NOONE WAS GOING TO STEAL YOUR VOTES,THAT YOU WERE VERY PREPARED TO GUARD THEM AND VERY ASSURED OF VICTORY,WHAT HAPPENED? YOU WERE ALSO DEMANDING FOR FOREIGN OBSERVERS INCLUDING ICC,NOW YOU ARE THE SAME PEOPLE RUBISHING THEM INCLUDING THE MEDIA WHICH HELPED IN TALLYING PRELIMINARY RESULTS AS THEY CAME IN! A MAN LIKE OTUNU,WHO DIDN’T EVEN VOTE FOR HIM,HOW DID HE EXPECT TO GO THROUGH? LEAVE US ALONE,WE DON’T WANT TO LOSE OUR LOVED ONES BECAUSE OF YOUR GREED AND UNREASONABLE AMBITIONS!!
The top of the ticket appears to be the problem. It appears very little rigging takes place at MP level. Also, I find the use of govt money to run the NRM campaign disoicable. Est. $300 million!!
Talk about it Stanley..!
LEAVE US ALONE,WE DON’T WANT TO LOSE OUR LOVED ONES BECAUSE OF YOUR GREED AND UNREASONABLE AMBITIONS!! ……….Interesting to read this . How many Ugandans have died because the aid money given for Health was embezzled by Museveni and his Ministers and henchmen. How many Ugandans have died because the hospitals in the country have no drugs. Howmany Ugandans have died because the roads are so bad that accidents in Uganda are foten fatal. When one talks about greed, you do not have to look far but around Museveni’s family, where the wife, son, brother, daughter all are in government positions bcause of greed. There is a special allocation of budget for Presidential First ladies, that is not enough Musveni’s wife, and she had to be an MP and then a minister, what greed can this amout to. What is the Christian moral is such people who claim they are saved and yet are morally corrupt. Museveni came to power because he fought people who rigged elections. He has rigged elections at least on 2 elections before and the opposition have done everything possible to bring up issues building institutions and level playing field in the administration of this country by being patient and taking the Judicial process which Museveni manipulates. The Parliament especially the 8th parliament was Museveni’s corruption apparatus. Important Bills which are the framework of policy development are all being passed by buyin MPs, what is there left for the NRM to be proud about. Ugandans should now use the people power to demand their rights to freedom and democratic governance through a peaceful demonstration, because the democratic process through free and fair elections and through the judiciary have all been rigged and manipulated. It is time to demand change not to wait or beg for change by negotiating with Museveni. While he refused legal redress and went to the bush for rigged elections in 1980, Ugandans should not think of going to the bush as he did , but demand change by rejecting an illegal government by peaceful demonstration.
Ugandans, like Dun are low at reasoning, U Dun, don’t thk this country can be led by one person, you’re the looser who has no confidence. Our fellow brothers and sisters die of HIV because their money is stolen, The Billionairs of Uganda are mostly from one side of the country, All managers in reasonable positions in arious companies are from one side of country, People like Dun are the ones who slow Africa’s development. Perhaps his from that area of the rich guys with cattle.
OUR FELLOW UGANDANS, THE MOJORITY, LETS STAND AS ONE, Museveni will never let Besigye rule, for now, atleast it is better they share governance, we the stake holders will benefit more! Am not speaking for Ugandans, It’s just a suggestion.
Demonstrators, please, we as Ugandans, lets make sure they are peaceful. A Man fighting for democracy, Dun thinks his a looser, I my self am not FDC or IPC, it’s not about Besigye or Museveni, it is about what is right for this nation. In future ediets like Dun, it is better Uganda becomes 2 countries, New Uganda for low minded people like Dun