UPC raps Govt on rights and freedoms

BY MOSES MULONDO  

Opposition Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) Wednesday accused the government of increasingly violating fundamental rights of Ugandans.

According to UPC spokesperson, Okello Lucima, in the recent past Uganda has increasingly witnessed an iron-hand by the government.

“Political parties have been frequently denied their right to assemble and address Ugandans. Media freedom has been restricted. Parliament has been threatened several times. These various excesses by the executive are undermining Uganda’s democratization process,” Okello claimed.

The UPC leaders raised concern over the continuous acts by police to stop the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and Dr. Kizza Besigye from conducting rallies.

 “The Lord Mayor was voted by the people of Kampala and therefore has a right to always consult his voters when he wishes. It is sad that the government has continued to deny him access to his voters,” Okello told news conference in Kampala.

Government spokesperson, Ofwono Opondo, dismissed UPC claims saying they are misguided.

“That is an old song UPC has been singing. UPC has never said at anyone moment that there is democracy in Uganda. They have always called the NRM government a dictatorship.”

Opondo added: “There is no single political leader the government has stopped from meeting his voters. It is only where the meetings are disruptive that police stops them. Lukwago’s political demonstrations are disruptive. Asking his voters to accompany him while appearing before the tribunal is an act aimed at intimidating the panelists.”

Okello said Ugandans have a constitutional right to demonstrate and appealed to the government to restrain itself from violating these rights arguing it can destabilize the country.

On the budget that was read recently, Okello said it had so many loopholes which UPC is currently examining to come up with a detailed report on the way forward which they will send to parliament for consideration.

“After donors withdrawing their support due to corruption in the government departments, government has resorted to over-taxing Ugandans which will worsen the already poor economic welfare of Ugandans,” he explained.

 He called upon the IGG to investigate all government ministries and departments alleging that most of them are headed by corrupt people.

“The too much corruption taking place in all government departments is the reason why service delivery is very poor. Ugandans should rise up and say enough is enough.”