Tumwine blasts Besigye

By Felix Osike A historical member of the NRM/A, Maj. Gen. Elly Tumwine, yesterday blasted presidential aspirant Rtd. Col. Kiiza Besigye and described him as an indisciplined officer who was guilty of his actions. Tumwine, in an interview with The New Vision said, "He is very indisciplined. All that he is doing is a sign of guilt on his side. We are not surprised of his conduct." He said Besigye had chosen to deal with the press on internal matters of the Movement, adding that the press would make or destroy him. Besigye declared his bid for the presidency on Saturday and promised democratic reforms and pledged to stamp out the rampant corruption in government. Others who intend to contest are Samia Bugwe MP Aggrey Awori, former Kampala mayor Alhajji Nasser Sebagala, Justice Forum chief Kibirige Mayanja and National Democrats Forum chief Chapaa Karuhanga. Tumwine dismissed Besigye's claim that even the forum he chairs, the NRM Historicals Command, had ignored his complaints. "We asked him to write his ideas and he chose to write to the press instead of bringing it to the right forum," he said. He also dismissed claims by Besigye that Museveni was sectarian. "If the President was sectarian, Besigye would not be what he is now. Go and ask him where he would be now," he said. Tumwine said there was nothing special about Besigye's bid for the presidency. "He is free to stand like any other Ugandan. He may be having good points, but the only problem is the way he is doing it," he said. Tumwine also said inflammatory statements by Besigye that the Movement was not democratic had worked against his own words since he is contesting on a Movement ticket. Brig. Jim Muhwezi, the Rujumbura MP who led a Rukingiri delegation to State House protesting the court martialling of Besigye, has for three days running declined to comment on the issue. The Movement's Deputy Director of Information, Magode Ikuya, said Besigye's candidature was based on personal interests and not on the Movement's failure. Ends.