Mao warns DP supporters against backing Besigye in 2016

Apr 29, 2013

The Democratic Party (DP) President Norbert Mao has warned party supporters against backing the Forum for Democratic Change’s (FDC) former party President Kizza Besigye in 2016.

By John Semakula

The Democratic Party (DP) President Norbert Mao has warned party supporters against backing the Forum for Democratic Change’s (FDC) former party President Kizza Besigye in 2016.

Addressing a press conference in Mukono on Sunday, Mao described Besigye as a coward who is not fit to lead Uganda after President Yoweri Museveni has left.

“Besigye was once shot on a finger with a rubber bullet and he went around lamenting. He tied the whole arm with a bandage for months. Besigye is a coward,” Mao said.

He added that Besigye lacks the qualities of a good leader and that it was the reason he rides on cheap popularity to win over the public support.

“Besigye hoodwinks the public to think that he is the only Ugandan who has suffered in the hands of a serving government to win over the public support,” Mao said.

He added, “There are so many DP supporters who were killed by the previous governments, including Ben Kiwanuka of DP but we don’t use it to buy political capital, like Besigye does.”

Mao added that Besigye has also shown that he is an unreliable leader to be entrusted with the office of the President.

“We once agreed to take the walk-to-work campaign to our mother districts but Besigye betrayed us. He remained in Kampala and I went home in Gulu,” Mao said.

He ruled out the possibility of DP allying with FDC and other political parties whose leaders are not reliable.

DP has started a four year countrywide campaign ahead of the 2016 general elections.

Fred Mukasa Mbidde, the party’s legal advisor, said DP would again front Mao as its flag bearer in the 2016 general elections.

Mao was the party’s flag bearer in the 2011 Presidential race, but was floored by the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) candidate, Yoweri Museveni Kaguta.

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