Museveni woos Ogwal
Jul 25, 2005
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has urged Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) diehards Cecilia Ogwal and Daniel Omara Atubo to join the Movement, saying it has a good political vision.<br>Museveni said Ogwal had in past elections been “running up and down†to campaign against him until her shoes wore ou
By Ali Mao
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has urged Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) diehards Cecilia Ogwal and Daniel Omara Atubo to join the Movement, saying it has a good political vision.
Museveni said Ogwal had in past elections been “running up and down†to campaign against him until her shoes wore out.
“I am appealing to the people of Lango, including my sister Cecilia Ogwal and Omara Atubo, who have been in an abandoned home to come back to paco manyen (new home), which has been working for 20 years,†Museveni told a big crowd of supporters. He was campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote ahead of the Thursday referendum. The function took place at the Akii Bua Stadium in Lira town on Sunday.
The Electoral Commission said yesterday it would deploy close to 70,000 field staff to manage 17,000 polling stations nationwide (see Page 2).
Museveni said, “In Lango, people voted against me in 1996 and 2001 elections and supported Paul Ssemogerere and Col. Kizza Besigye but still I won with a big margin. This is because of my good work.â€
He said the Movement Government believed in equality even for those who do not agree with it politically. “Cecilia Ogwal has been complaining that I have stayed in power for almost 20 years, yet I have created for her a good environment,†he added.
Museveni said those who have abandoned the Movement and those
who do not want to join it should be allowed to leave the system in peace.
“Let people who don’t want the Movement system go so that we have cohesion in the Movement to implement our developmental programmes efficiently,†he said.
Museveni arrived at 4:50pm and was received by state ministers Felix Okot Ogong for youth and child affairs, Jovino Akaki Ayumu for tourism, education minister Namirembe Bitamazire, district Movement chairman Sam Engola among others, including opposition MPs.
“I am happy to hear that the Langi have registered in big numbers in support of the Movement system. The Movement is the only political force that has contained this problem. Democratic Party failed to take off and Uganda People’s Congress collapsed. These are parties that have been producing a dead child,†he added.
He said the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) was like the millet that spills away from the main heap, adding that it was not a threat to the Movement.
Meanwhile, Wokorach-Oboi reports that campaigning at the Kitgum Boma Ground on the same day, Museveni promised to pitch camp in the north again after the referendum to oversee the operation against the remnants of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.
“We are building an army much stronger than at any one time in Uganda. So don’t think this problem will continue,†Museveni said.
He said the UPDF was now dealing with the remnants of the LRA rebels.
“In the past, the army was dealing with large groups. now they have been reduced but even then they must be eliminated totally. I would prefer if they come out themselves because those who did are working with us,†he said.
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has urged Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) diehards Cecilia Ogwal and Daniel Omara Atubo to join the Movement, saying it has a good political vision.
Museveni said Ogwal had in past elections been “running up and down†to campaign against him until her shoes wore out.
“I am appealing to the people of Lango, including my sister Cecilia Ogwal and Omara Atubo, who have been in an abandoned home to come back to paco manyen (new home), which has been working for 20 years,†Museveni told a big crowd of supporters. He was campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote ahead of the Thursday referendum. The function took place at the Akii Bua Stadium in Lira town on Sunday.
The Electoral Commission said yesterday it would deploy close to 70,000 field staff to manage 17,000 polling stations nationwide (see Page 2).
Museveni said, “In Lango, people voted against me in 1996 and 2001 elections and supported Paul Ssemogerere and Col. Kizza Besigye but still I won with a big margin. This is because of my good work.â€
He said the Movement Government believed in equality even for those who do not agree with it politically. “Cecilia Ogwal has been complaining that I have stayed in power for almost 20 years, yet I have created for her a good environment,†he added.
Museveni said those who have abandoned the Movement and those
who do not want to join it should be allowed to leave the system in peace.
“Let people who don’t want the Movement system go so that we have cohesion in the Movement to implement our developmental programmes efficiently,†he said.
Museveni arrived at 4:50pm and was received by state ministers Felix Okot Ogong for youth and child affairs, Jovino Akaki Ayumu for tourism, education minister Namirembe Bitamazire, district Movement chairman Sam Engola among others, including opposition MPs.
“I am happy to hear that the Langi have registered in big numbers in support of the Movement system. The Movement is the only political force that has contained this problem. Democratic Party failed to take off and Uganda People’s Congress collapsed. These are parties that have been producing a dead child,†he added.
He said the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) was like the millet that spills away from the main heap, adding that it was not a threat to the Movement.
Meanwhile, Wokorach-Oboi reports that campaigning at the Kitgum Boma Ground on the same day, Museveni promised to pitch camp in the north again after the referendum to oversee the operation against the remnants of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.
“We are building an army much stronger than at any one time in Uganda. So don’t think this problem will continue,†Museveni said.
He said the UPDF was now dealing with the remnants of the LRA rebels.
“In the past, the army was dealing with large groups. now they have been reduced but even then they must be eliminated totally. I would prefer if they come out themselves because those who did are working with us,†he said.