I have better chances on NRM ticket â€" Onzima
Oct 30, 2008
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) recently suspended Maracha MP and party Vice-Chairman for the North, Alex Onzima. John Odyek sought his views on the development
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) recently suspended Maracha MP and party Vice-Chairman for the North, Alex Onzima. John Odyek sought his views on the development. below is the interview ...
QUESTION: Have you received a letter from FDC regarding your suspension from the party?
ANSWER: I have not received any letter from FDC regarding my suspension. Neither have I received any summons to appear before a disciplinary committee in Najjanankumbi.
QUESTION: You are accused of not being active in FDC?
ANSWER: They must explain what are those points that make a person active or not. They should list what they expect me to do and how they measure whether I am active or not. The burden lies upon those making the claims.
QUESTION: Do they invite you for FDC meetings?
ANSWER: When President Museveni visited Arua, I was told I would not be entrusted with any responsibility for the party and they would not endorse me in 2011. The press quoted the Leader of the Opposition, Prof. Ogenga Latigo, who is also the Vice-President of FDC. From then I have not got any invitation for meetings.
QUESTION: Have you tried to talk to FDC leaders?
ANSWER: Why should I talk to them? They are the ones raising issues and avoiding the person they are complaining about. Must I go to look for them? They have become closer to the press than to me — their fellow member. The onus is on them if they want to build their party and capture state power. You can only weaken your party by labelling accusations against your members in the press and avoiding direct talks with them.
QUESTION: Are you still a member of FDC?
ANSWER: In Parliament I sit on the opposition side. I am a member of the defence and internal affairs committee but no controversial debate has come up like the NSSF Temangalo issue. There are issues in the constituency that have taken my time out of Parliament. Because my power base is not in Najjanankumbi nor in Parliament, I give my attention to issues in the constituency first.
The creation of the new district in my area is one of the issues. We are waiting for the court decision because the Government was sued when it decided to call the district Nyadri which was to be its headquarters as well.
QUESTION: Are you practicing rational politics?
ANSWER: When President Museveni visited Arua around May this year, I said, “If the president plays his cards well we would support himâ€. That is where the point of rationality comes in. In politics you oppose the Government when it has not worked to your expectations, in the hope that if that government collapses your party will take over and you put in place your expectations.
QUESTION: Readiness to support the president mean you are ready to cross from FDC to NRM?
ANSWER: That support means casting a vote for that person. If you had been a member of a party with a presidential candidate and you vote for a candidate of another party, then you belong to the latter.
QUESTION: Has the president played his cards well?
ANSWER: From May to October is too short a time to judge. What is six months in implementation of government programmes? We must see what will happen in three years to the general elections.
QUESTION: You made a report on the formation of Nyadri district to FDC President Kiiza Besigye and Prof. Ogenga Latigo but they did not act?
ANSWER: On the district issue, I can authoritatively say they have completely failed.
QUESTION: They have suspended you without inviting you for a hearing?
ANSWER: Suspension is a punishment. If you give the reasons in the press that he is closer to NRM than FDC or that he is inactive, you have punished him without even hearing from him. I have never been invited to hear any complaint against me from the party leadership.
After suspending me you say in the press, ‘come and appear before the disciplinary committee’. Is that not putting the cart before the horse? I don’t see why I should appear before the disciplinary committee because I am already punished. They issued me a political death warrant even before they listened to my side of the story. Can this type of management run a party and it grows?
QUESTION: What steps are you going to take?
ANSWER: It is all about political survival. They want to end my political life but I want to survive politically. So let them pursue their way to end my political life as I struggle very hard to make sure that I survive politically. We shall see who emerges winner.
QUESTION: Aren’t you going to telephone someone in FDC to explain what is happening?
ANSWER: I can’t stoop that low. I have never lived a life of begging. I want to be myself all the time.
QUESTION: Aren’t you willing to help FDC top leaders grow up?
ANSWER: That is contrary to what they think of themselves. When I resigned as shadow minister for defence, they made statements at a press conference. When I advised them that a press conference should address national issues, particularly the weaknesses of the ruling party, and solve negative internal matters internally, they did not listen. Besigye was quoted in the press as saying that even if Beti Kamya left, that would not cost anything. If he said so in public it is unfortunate. If you have only 38 MPs and you say if one leaves, it would not be a loss to the party, are you up to your senses? That is why President Museveni has the best way of looking at his party. Wherever there is a by-election he goes. After getting 250 MPs he wants more but somebody with 38 MPS says losing one will not cost us anything!
QUESTION: Does your suspension weaken your position as MP?
ANSWER: I came on FDC ticket in 2006 but when I first became MP in 1996 there was no FDC. In 2001 I was re-elected with a higher margin. Was there FDC? In 2006, did FDC market me in Maracha or I marketed FDC there? What was FDC’s contribution to my re-election? Just stamping my nomination papers; not even giving me a shilling for campaigns. Who introduced FDC in Maracha? Did people in Maracha know FDC before Onzima opened his mouth? In 1996 I had four opponents, two of them MPs.
The votes of the four put together were less than what I got. That time I supported Museveni. That time Museveni got 21% in Arua district which was a humiliating defeat. But I supported Museveni and people voted me on individual merit.
I am the longest serving MP from West Nile who has been elected consecutively with ever increasing vote margins.
Museveni got 38% in Arua in the last election, so if I stood on NRM ticket my chances of winning are more. The ball is in their court. If they want to fight me, I will fight back.
QUESTION: Have you received a letter from FDC regarding your suspension from the party?
ANSWER: I have not received any letter from FDC regarding my suspension. Neither have I received any summons to appear before a disciplinary committee in Najjanankumbi.
QUESTION: You are accused of not being active in FDC?
ANSWER: They must explain what are those points that make a person active or not. They should list what they expect me to do and how they measure whether I am active or not. The burden lies upon those making the claims.
QUESTION: Do they invite you for FDC meetings?
ANSWER: When President Museveni visited Arua, I was told I would not be entrusted with any responsibility for the party and they would not endorse me in 2011. The press quoted the Leader of the Opposition, Prof. Ogenga Latigo, who is also the Vice-President of FDC. From then I have not got any invitation for meetings.
QUESTION: Have you tried to talk to FDC leaders?
ANSWER: Why should I talk to them? They are the ones raising issues and avoiding the person they are complaining about. Must I go to look for them? They have become closer to the press than to me — their fellow member. The onus is on them if they want to build their party and capture state power. You can only weaken your party by labelling accusations against your members in the press and avoiding direct talks with them.
QUESTION: Are you still a member of FDC?
ANSWER: In Parliament I sit on the opposition side. I am a member of the defence and internal affairs committee but no controversial debate has come up like the NSSF Temangalo issue. There are issues in the constituency that have taken my time out of Parliament. Because my power base is not in Najjanankumbi nor in Parliament, I give my attention to issues in the constituency first.
The creation of the new district in my area is one of the issues. We are waiting for the court decision because the Government was sued when it decided to call the district Nyadri which was to be its headquarters as well.
QUESTION: Are you practicing rational politics?
ANSWER: When President Museveni visited Arua around May this year, I said, “If the president plays his cards well we would support himâ€. That is where the point of rationality comes in. In politics you oppose the Government when it has not worked to your expectations, in the hope that if that government collapses your party will take over and you put in place your expectations.
QUESTION: Readiness to support the president mean you are ready to cross from FDC to NRM?
ANSWER: That support means casting a vote for that person. If you had been a member of a party with a presidential candidate and you vote for a candidate of another party, then you belong to the latter.
QUESTION: Has the president played his cards well?
ANSWER: From May to October is too short a time to judge. What is six months in implementation of government programmes? We must see what will happen in three years to the general elections.
QUESTION: You made a report on the formation of Nyadri district to FDC President Kiiza Besigye and Prof. Ogenga Latigo but they did not act?
ANSWER: On the district issue, I can authoritatively say they have completely failed.
QUESTION: They have suspended you without inviting you for a hearing?
ANSWER: Suspension is a punishment. If you give the reasons in the press that he is closer to NRM than FDC or that he is inactive, you have punished him without even hearing from him. I have never been invited to hear any complaint against me from the party leadership.
After suspending me you say in the press, ‘come and appear before the disciplinary committee’. Is that not putting the cart before the horse? I don’t see why I should appear before the disciplinary committee because I am already punished. They issued me a political death warrant even before they listened to my side of the story. Can this type of management run a party and it grows?
QUESTION: What steps are you going to take?
ANSWER: It is all about political survival. They want to end my political life but I want to survive politically. So let them pursue their way to end my political life as I struggle very hard to make sure that I survive politically. We shall see who emerges winner.
QUESTION: Aren’t you going to telephone someone in FDC to explain what is happening?
ANSWER: I can’t stoop that low. I have never lived a life of begging. I want to be myself all the time.
QUESTION: Aren’t you willing to help FDC top leaders grow up?
ANSWER: That is contrary to what they think of themselves. When I resigned as shadow minister for defence, they made statements at a press conference. When I advised them that a press conference should address national issues, particularly the weaknesses of the ruling party, and solve negative internal matters internally, they did not listen. Besigye was quoted in the press as saying that even if Beti Kamya left, that would not cost anything. If he said so in public it is unfortunate. If you have only 38 MPs and you say if one leaves, it would not be a loss to the party, are you up to your senses? That is why President Museveni has the best way of looking at his party. Wherever there is a by-election he goes. After getting 250 MPs he wants more but somebody with 38 MPS says losing one will not cost us anything!
QUESTION: Does your suspension weaken your position as MP?
ANSWER: I came on FDC ticket in 2006 but when I first became MP in 1996 there was no FDC. In 2001 I was re-elected with a higher margin. Was there FDC? In 2006, did FDC market me in Maracha or I marketed FDC there? What was FDC’s contribution to my re-election? Just stamping my nomination papers; not even giving me a shilling for campaigns. Who introduced FDC in Maracha? Did people in Maracha know FDC before Onzima opened his mouth? In 1996 I had four opponents, two of them MPs.
The votes of the four put together were less than what I got. That time I supported Museveni. That time Museveni got 21% in Arua district which was a humiliating defeat. But I supported Museveni and people voted me on individual merit.
I am the longest serving MP from West Nile who has been elected consecutively with ever increasing vote margins.
Museveni got 38% in Arua in the last election, so if I stood on NRM ticket my chances of winning are more. The ball is in their court. If they want to fight me, I will fight back.