Museveni opens NEC

Jun 17, 2005

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has said the all-embracing Movement was a solution to Uganda’s problems but political space should be opened to let go persons who no longer subscribe to its ideals.

By Henry Mukasa and Felix Osike

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has said the all-embracing Movement was a solution to Uganda’s problems but political space should be opened to let go persons who no longer subscribe to its ideals.

Reciting the country’s history from pre-colonial to the post-colonial era characterised by tribal and religious sectarianism, Museveni said holding everybody into the Movement by coercion gives cover to those who want to fight it from within.

Delivering a key-note address to the 8th Movement National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at Resort Beach, Munyonyo yesterday morning, Museveni, the Movement chairman, said in 1979 the nation missed a solution to the political problems when the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) umbrella therapy was not allowed to blossom.

Former first deputy premier Eria Kategaya, now FDC promoter, did not attend although he was invited as an NRM historical.

“In 1986, NRM took power and we brought back the medicine of UNLF which had been scuttled. The majority of Ugandans said, ‘you have saved us from eating each other’. After sometime, the medicine has developed resistance,” Museveni said.

He said about 24% Ugandans who have consistently voted against the Movement needed to be listened to and those who have fallen out with the Movement allowed to form their own groups.

“If we don’t allow these people to go wherever they want to go, we are giving cover to trouble- makers,” he said.

Museveni said he called for opening up political space to the astonishment of the ‘Kiyonga committee’, which after its inquiry thought he would reject the idea.

He said the Movement had developed complications of internal indiscipline and MPs elected under it on individual merit, turned round to fight it in Parliament.

“I now hear people talk that the Constitution is being manipulated. Actually those people in the Constituent Assembly were the ones who manipulated it. The problem we are trying to solve now (to elect president and MPs on the same day) was put in by some people I know very well.

Because they knew they had a strong presidential candidate, they wanted him to clear the way and help them come to Parliament.”
“The very people who did that are the ones I hear talking about manipulation of the Constitution. It wasn’t bad judgement at the time but the problem is they are not consistent,” he added.

Museveni said Parliament became factionalism and confusion cost the country many Bills and approval for various projects like construction of Bujagali dam, privatisation of Uganda Airlines and NEC pharmaceuticals.

He said the Movement parliamentary caucus headed by John Nasasira had purged deviating MPs and it was now solid. He said all the irreconcilable people that were shaking the Movement had left and joined FDC.
“Some of these people had started shaking the Movement. You find one minister saying this and another that. I talked to them privately and those who refused I acted. You shake the Movement, you commit a cardinal offence.

That’s what in religion they call sacrilegious. There are some sins that cannot be forgiven. Shaking the Movement (from within) cannot be forgiven,” Museveni said.
Rallying the delegates to support the return of pluralism, Museveni said it immunises his leadership from incessant bad publicity abroad.

Movement Vice Chairman, Moses Kigongo described the meeting as of “critical importance as it may be the last before Ugandans choose their political direction through a referendum on July 28.”
Kigongo described the falling out of some historical with the Movement as “ordinary wear and tear of management of society.”

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