'Do Not Vote Foreigners'

By Amlan Tumusiime PRESIDENTIAL candidate Francis Bwengye has asked Ugandans not to vote presidential candidate Aggrey Awori 'because he is a foreigner.' Bwengye, while addressing his supporters in Hoima, Busia Park on Thursday, said Ugandans should not accept foreigners to rule them. "Do not vote for Aggrey Awori because he is not a Ugandan and has several problems," Bwengye said. He, however, did not mention Awori's problems or nationality. The state minister for fisheries, Fred Mukisa, recently said Awori was a Kenyan and added that he had enough evidence to back his claim. Bwengye promised to consider other presidential candidates for posts in his government on condition that they accepted defeat after the elections. "Yoweri Museveni would be my chief advisor and Kizza Besigye would be my advisor on military affairs. Kibirige Mayanja would be my Minister of Agriculture and Chapaa Karuhanga, I will see where I will fix him," he said. He criticised Besigye for moving with a hammer, which he said, was a sign of violence. Bwengye asked Ugandans not to vote for Museveni because he is aging. "During the 1996 presidential elections, Museveni was strong enough to carry the "Olubengo", but now he is too old to carry it and he is instead carrying a hat," he said. Bwengye said it was not proper for graduated tax to be abolished as Besigye suggests. He said Besigye had been in the army for long and he was not used to paying taxes. "Now that Besigye is retired from the army and living a civilian life, he is fearing to pay taxes," he said. He promised to introduce free education from primary to university level without discrimination. Bwengye also promised to create an agricultural bank to give loans to farmers at all levels. He promised to talk to Kony and the ADF rebels. "We shall give them ministerial posts and make some of them our ambassadors and high commissioners in other countries so that they feel comfortable and we end the war," he said. He said talks with the rebels could also work. Ends