Movementists And Multipartyists Doubt Survey On NEC Suggestions
Apr 16, 2003
THERE are mixed reactions from the public to The New Vision survey, carried out on the two most controversial issues passed during the National Executive Committee (NEC). <b>Joshua Kato</b> caught up with some opinion leaders and gives their views about the outcome of the survey <br>
THE three questions in the survey were: Should the presidential two term limit be lifted? Should the political party activity ban be lifted? Should Museveni stand for another term? The survey indicated that 52% are opposed to the lifting of the term limits, while 34% were for the lifting of the term limits. Fifty six percent were not in favour of another term for President Museveni, while 38% were in favour. Forty nine percent were in favour of lifting the ban on political parties, while 40% were against it. Details of the survey results were realised in The New Vision of Monday April 14.
Below are some of the reactions from opinion leaders.
Nobert Mao, Member of Parliament for Gulu Municipality, says he was surprised that the issue of multiparty politics is still as contentious as it appears in the survey: “Given the demography of Uganda, with so many youth born during the Movement system, I thought that multipartyism would be voted for overwhelmingly,†he says.
He explained that the survey shows that there is still a big challenge for multi-party supporters to convince Ugandans that parties are not as bad as the movement has described them.
On the issue of the third term for President Museveni, Mao believes that the opposition is on the rise and will gain favour as time goes on.
Ofwono Opondo, Director of Information at the Movement Secretariat, does not take the results of the survey seriously.
“We are not bothered by Kampala surveys,†he says. He pointed out that the survey was meaningless, especially on the part of the third term for President Museveni because, “Nobody has asked for a third term for the president.†He pointed out that the survey does not portray the true picture of the questions asked, since it was carried out in urban areas, which have only 18% of the population.
“For us we know that the Movement is still very popular, regardless of what the survey says.
James Rwanyarare of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) says that the assessment of the people who want political parties to return is below his perception. “As far as we are concerned, parties are already free by law. What we need is for government to come out and implement these laws,†he says. On the issue of the third term for President Yoweri Museveni, he says that the survey sends him a clear message not to stand again: “The whole issue of lifting the two term limits revolves around President Museveni, which is why people think it should not be allowed as long as he is still around. I think this is why it gets very few votes,†he says.
Lawyer and movement cadre Edward Lukwago thinks that the survey does not represent the true picture of the country, if you put in question the voting pattern. “President Yoweri Museveni normally gets more than 70% of the rural vote and at least 45% of the urban vote, so if 38% want him to stand again in urban areas, then he has at least 65% in rural areas,†says Lukwago.
He points out that he is also surprised by the fact that a whole 40% of urban dwellers do not want the ban on political parties lifted: “When you hear multiparty supporters talk of support in urban areas, you get the feeling that their support is absolute. Clearly 40% gives them something to think about,†he says.
Latif Ssebagala, member of the Democratic Party does not believe the figures of the survey, although he believes the sequence: “My perception is that those who want the lifting of the term limits are much lower than the 34% as the survey says. I also think that those who want a return to multiparty politics are higher than 60%,†he says.
Michael Mabikke, Member of Parliament for Makindye East, is also not convinced by the results of the survey. “I think that those who want the term limits not to be lifted are higher than the survey shows. We are actually carrying out our own survey on those who want to lift the ban on political parties. Our results so far indicate that they are more than 80%,†he says.
The New Vision normally carries out surveys on topical issues to gauge public opinion. Each time an opinion poll is carried out, the results are disputed by both the opposition and the Movement. However, final results of the question of the day have always agreed with the sequence of The New Vision surveys.
This goes back to as far as the 1996 and 2001 presidential elections,when The New Vision surveys indicated that President Museveni shall win and he won. The New Vision also predicted wins for Nasser Ssebagala and Ssebaana Kizito during the mayoral race. Ends
Below are some of the reactions from opinion leaders.
Nobert Mao, Member of Parliament for Gulu Municipality, says he was surprised that the issue of multiparty politics is still as contentious as it appears in the survey: “Given the demography of Uganda, with so many youth born during the Movement system, I thought that multipartyism would be voted for overwhelmingly,†he says.
He explained that the survey shows that there is still a big challenge for multi-party supporters to convince Ugandans that parties are not as bad as the movement has described them.
On the issue of the third term for President Museveni, Mao believes that the opposition is on the rise and will gain favour as time goes on.
Ofwono Opondo, Director of Information at the Movement Secretariat, does not take the results of the survey seriously.
“We are not bothered by Kampala surveys,†he says. He pointed out that the survey was meaningless, especially on the part of the third term for President Museveni because, “Nobody has asked for a third term for the president.†He pointed out that the survey does not portray the true picture of the questions asked, since it was carried out in urban areas, which have only 18% of the population.
“For us we know that the Movement is still very popular, regardless of what the survey says.
James Rwanyarare of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) says that the assessment of the people who want political parties to return is below his perception. “As far as we are concerned, parties are already free by law. What we need is for government to come out and implement these laws,†he says. On the issue of the third term for President Yoweri Museveni, he says that the survey sends him a clear message not to stand again: “The whole issue of lifting the two term limits revolves around President Museveni, which is why people think it should not be allowed as long as he is still around. I think this is why it gets very few votes,†he says.
Lawyer and movement cadre Edward Lukwago thinks that the survey does not represent the true picture of the country, if you put in question the voting pattern. “President Yoweri Museveni normally gets more than 70% of the rural vote and at least 45% of the urban vote, so if 38% want him to stand again in urban areas, then he has at least 65% in rural areas,†says Lukwago.
He points out that he is also surprised by the fact that a whole 40% of urban dwellers do not want the ban on political parties lifted: “When you hear multiparty supporters talk of support in urban areas, you get the feeling that their support is absolute. Clearly 40% gives them something to think about,†he says.
Latif Ssebagala, member of the Democratic Party does not believe the figures of the survey, although he believes the sequence: “My perception is that those who want the lifting of the term limits are much lower than the 34% as the survey says. I also think that those who want a return to multiparty politics are higher than 60%,†he says.
Michael Mabikke, Member of Parliament for Makindye East, is also not convinced by the results of the survey. “I think that those who want the term limits not to be lifted are higher than the survey shows. We are actually carrying out our own survey on those who want to lift the ban on political parties. Our results so far indicate that they are more than 80%,†he says.
The New Vision normally carries out surveys on topical issues to gauge public opinion. Each time an opinion poll is carried out, the results are disputed by both the opposition and the Movement. However, final results of the question of the day have always agreed with the sequence of The New Vision surveys.
This goes back to as far as the 1996 and 2001 presidential elections,when The New Vision surveys indicated that President Museveni shall win and he won. The New Vision also predicted wins for Nasser Ssebagala and Ssebaana Kizito during the mayoral race. Ends