DP urges opposition parties to embrace dialogue

The Democratic Party (DP) has called on fellow opposition political parties to embrace peaceful talks and dialogue with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party to easily achieve their demands and promote peace.

While addressing journalists at the party offices today, the party's secretary general, Mathias Nsubuga Birekerawo said there is no need of violence when space for dialogue is available.

He stressed that the thinking that each political camp should stick to themselves and destroy all channels of communication while hatching the ultimate plot on how to outdo all other adversaries is so dangerous.

"We as DP reiterate that discourse, sitting at a roundtable and negotiations is the best for the nation. We need to recognize the fact that despite of the differences and disagreements, we are all Ugandans and have to find a way on how to live and work together," he noted.

Nsubuga also denied any alliance with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), saying the meeting with President Yoweri Museveni was aimed at presenting opposition concerns under the Inter-Party Dialogue (IPOD).

The opposition delegation met Museveni at State House last week.

"It was a meeting of IPOD involving all parties represented in Parliament including NRM. We only had issues to discuss with the President as the leader of the country and chairman of NRM," he added.

IPOD is an umbrella body that brings together all political parties in Uganda with representation in Parliament. Currently IPOD comprises of DP, FDC, Uganda People's Congress and NRM.

Nsubuga clarified that their counterparts from FDC were consulted and were involved in the drafting of the document they presented to the President, but never attended due the dynamics in their party.

"FDC's secretary general, Nandala Mafabi was supposed to lead the delegation to State House, but called us and told us about the court case in Nakawa where he had to bail out their members," he added.

At the meeting they reviewed the February 2016 elections, status of FDC presidential candidate Col Kizza Besigye, Nakawa MP Michael Kabaziguruka and other political prisoners, and party funding among others.

Nsubuga said the President agreed to meet them in the first week of August to discuss in detail the various issues.

The party also wished Muslims happy Eid celebrations upon the completion of the month of Ramadan.