Parties demand release of Besigye, Mao

By Josephine Maseruka

SENIOR officials from opposition political parties yesterday demanded the release of Col. Kizza Besigye, the president of the Forum for Democratic Change and Norbert Mao, the Democratic Party chief.

The two have been detained at Nakasongola Prisons since last Thursday after they were charged over the walk-to-work demonstrations which begun a fortnight ago.

The two leaders were accused of disobeying lawful orders, committing traffic offences and inciting violence.

The demonstrations by the opposition are in protest against the high fuel and food prices.

Addressing a joint press conference yesterday at the DP headquarters in Kampala, the political parties under the Collective democratic Opposition expressed concern over the detention of the two opposition party leaders on what they called ‘fictitious charges’.

The Uganda People’s Congress President Olara Otunnu, said “We condemn the detention of those arrested in the walk-to-work demonstrations. We want the State to drop charges against the political leaders.”

He charged that shifting the leaders from Kampala prisons to Nakasongola is “reminiscent of the practices of colonial era.”

Otunnu said they were proceeding to Nakasongola yesterday after the press briefing and said unless things changed, the opposition “is resolute in pursuing their objective of non-violent demonstration.”

He said next Tuesday on May 3, the opposition will hold a rally in Kampala to high light the increasing commodity prices, and the Police brutality against peaceful demonstrators.

Otunnu declined to disclose the venue of the rally.

However the Police spokesperson Judith Nabakoba said the opposition had not notified them.

“Perhaps they will notify us in due course. If they explain to us the venue and it is convenient we shall allow them.”

Legislators have appealed to the Government to intervene into the matter but President Yoweri Museveni insisted that such taxes are needed for investments.

The opposition members supported dialogue with the Government but insisted, “We are not seeking a photo opportunity with President Yoweri Museveni or a tea party at State House.

We want structured and organised dialogue free of intimidation with a set agenda.”

They, however, said, “we cannot have dialogue when opposition leaders and many people are detained , when there is security aggression on streets, when the Police is tear -gassing children and patients and when people are still being killed.”

Dr. Kibirige Mayanja, the JEEMA president said the opposition would stand together’ on any injustices meted on them.”

He noted that the inter religious Council and the Inter party dialogue had mooted the idea of opposition dialoguing with the Government to solve the issues amicably so as to avert a grave national crisis if demonstrations continued to be chaotic.

Meanwhile, Nabweru Court will today hear Besigye’s bail application.