Omara Atubo joins race

By Dennis Ochich and Richard Mutumba THE Member of Parliament for Otuke and a Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) stalwart, Omara Atubo, yesterday picked nomination forms for the presidential race, bringing the number of aspirants to 16. Another aspirant, Simon Ross Euku, a Soroti-based Certified Public Accountant, also picked forms yesterday. He later visited The New Vision editorial offices to affirm his readiness to contest for the presidency. Euku lost in the 1996 parliamentary elections to Charles Egou for the Kalaki seat. Atubo, 53, has represented Otuke in Parliament since the National Resistance Council in the 1980s. He is also a former minister of state for foreign affairs and defence in President Yoweri Museveni's government. "I have been doing my consultations quietly. I am not a new face in Ugandan politics. I have sufficient support all over the country," he said at his office on Parliament Avenue yesterday. Nomination of candidates has been set for January 8 and 9 and the election is slated for early march next year. Sources said Atubo's entrance into the race follows a meeting in Lira last month in which UPC members of the Cecilia Ogwal's faction resolved to identify and support their own candidate. Another meeting at Makerere University failed to agree whether to support presidential aspirants Aggrey Awori or Kiiza Besigye. They, however, resolved that UPC participates in the elections. Atubo yesterday said Uganda now needed a civilian leader with a clean record. "At the moment, those who are contesting are either former rebels or military men. And I am neither of them," he said, adding that his only problem would be raising about sh500m for campaigns. Atubo said his vision for Uganda included ending all wars, eradication of poverty, education and restoration of multiparty democracy. On the army, Atubo said, "People should not be worried about handling the army. As a former state minister for defence, I know the soldiers well. And they need a civilian president to work with them, not a military man." Those who have picked forms so far include incumbent Yoweri Museveni; former Kampala mayor Nasser Ntege Sebaggala; former National Political Commissar retired Col Dr. Kiiza Besigye; Samia Bugwe North MP Aggrey Awori and Karuhanga Chapaa. Others are Mohammed Mayanja Kibirige of Makerere University who was third in the 1996 presidential elections; Francis Bwengye of a splinter Democratic Party faction; George Bamwine; Simon Peter Kabala Kasirye; Amumpeirwe C. Nahabwe and Waswa Lule (MP Lubaga North) and son of the late former President, Yusuf Lule. Nelson Ocheger of Action Party has pulled out of the race and declared his readiness to work with President Museveni. The aspirants have begun consulting the electorate. Ends.