By Moses Mulondo
Former UN diplomat ambassador Olara Otunnu is the new Uganda People’s Congress Party president. He spoke to to our journalist about his vision for the party. Below are excerpts:
QUESTION: What compelled you to come back and contest for the UPC presidency?
ANSWER: For several years I had been approached by some eminent Uganda political leaders of various affiliations urging me to come back and get involved in Uganda’s politics to help provide leadership to change the Museveni regime and begin the process of recovery and transformation of our country. About a year ago a very concerted effort started and it was agreed that I would meet a UPC delegation in Nairobi. In those different attempts I also met, on several occasions, with Forum for Democratic Change and Democratic Party leaders. All the parties urged me to come back and help lead the opposition.
How does it feel to be the UPC leader?
I am humbled and touched by the magnitude of support I got because it was across the country. Ballot boxes had been arranged according to districts and the votes I got from each box implied I have support in all the districts of Uganda.
What do you bring to the UPC?
There are several steps that need to be taken to revitalise UPC as the most historically important political formation in Uganda. First of all, it is critical to unite the party; UPC has suffered from terrible episodes of factionalism and internal blood-letting. We must bring this to an end and reunite the party as a coherent political force.
Secondly, the strength of UPC has always been at the grassroots. As a social democratic formation, its power base is the ordinary people. So, my primary role is to re-connect with and energise the grassroots.
Thirdly, after more than three decades of a ban on political parties and persecution of UPC, the party structures at the local level have virtually collapsed. So, I will place priority on rebuilding the local structures and bases.
I will also ensure that prominent UPC leaders who, for various reasons, are on the sidelines will be brought back.
And finally, UPC’s new leadership will need to present a clear and compelling alternative vision to the NRM’s colossal fraud regarding our country’s political, economic and social conditions.
What do you say about the assertion that UPC caused most of the civil wars that have ravaged Uganda, starting with the 1966 crisis?
There have been various traumatic episodes in Uganda’s post-independence history. The first one was the 1966 crisis which was the confrontation between Kabaka’s government and the central Government led by the UPC-KY alliance. There were two parties to that conflict and each played a part in causing the crisis. Historians continue to debate how much was contributed by Mengo and how much by the central Government.
The most important thing for me now is for UPC to extend a hand of good will, dialogue and reconciliation to Buganda, and I hope Buganda will reciprocate. The second episode was the violence and bloodshed in the Luwero Triangle between 1981 and 1985. That war was started by the NRM. There were two parties to that conflict. Therefore, there is need for an independent commission to identify the persons who were responsible for committing crimes, and holding to account those found guilty, regardless of whether they were on the government side or Museveni’s side.
Will you apologise to Buganda over the mistakes UPC committed?
It must be known that in as much as UPC registered many outstanding achievements for Uganda, some mistakes were made. The most important thing is not apportioning blame, but to find avenues of reconciling and healing the wounds.
We need to re-examine what happened. I am sure that if both sides enter dialogue and honestly discuss what happened, reconciliation will take place. The stability of Uganda hangs on the relationship between UPC and Buganda.
How will UPC reconcile its ideological orientation with Buganda’s demand for federalism?
I support a call for federo. I believe that in a democracy, decisions should be made at the closest proximity by those affected by the decisions and the allocation of resources should also be decided upon at close proximity to those who contribute and own the resources. Federo is also a formula for achieving unity within diversity, for equity in the allocation of national resources and for more effective accountability in governance.
What is your position on homosexuality?
I am appalled by the draft legislation on homosexuality which is being debated in Parliament. As a Christian, my faith tells me that giving and taking of life is by God. I have never supported capital punishment. We should not condemn homosexuals to death or imprisonment.
What is your reaction to allegations that you are a homosexual?
That is laughable nonsense promoted by Museveni’s propagandists for character assassination. They tried the same tactics to fail me in the UN and their dirty games were dismissed with contempt.
How do you respond to allegations that you cannot manage to run the country because you are not married?
I hope this will not become an excuse in the elections. Ugandans should not be concerned about one’s marital status but let them consider the ideas, vision, quality of leadership and the ability a person has. Many people became national leaders when they had not yet married. There is no correlation between good leadership and one’s marital status.