Bidandi attacks opposition parties' deal
Aug 06, 2008
VETERAN politician and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) leader Jaberi Bidandi Ssali has condemned the inter-party cooperation agreement arguing it came too early.
By Milton Olupot
and Moses Mulondo
VETERAN politician and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) leader Jaberi Bidandi Ssali has condemned the inter-party cooperation agreement.
“That move was very unfortunate. I see this as another way of forming an opposition movement, which is bound to kill the germinating seeds of multiparty democracy in Uganda,†Bidandi warned.
Bidandi said the cooperation agreement, signed on Tuesday by FDC, UPC, CP and JEEMA, came too early.
“We still have three years. I think leaders of the opposition parties should be very careful not to take steps that will nip in the bud the flourishing of multiparty democracy by reducing their focus to the removal of a regime other than building structures and systems,†he reasoned.
The four parties signed the agreement to work out a common strategy for the 2011 elections.
Although DP had been engaged in the preparations, it did not turn up for the signing ceremony.
Bidandi, a former Cabinet minister, who was a leading advocate for the return to multiparty politics, said building political institutions should be the priority for all political parties.
In an interview, Bidandi observed that all political parties in Uganda need to be streamlined.
“No single party in Uganda is a party in the sense of an organised institution prepared to provide alternative leadership. This is unfortunate because many of us clamoured for opening up political space to allow competition for leadership by political parties not individuals.â€
Bidandi backed the idea of opposition parties uniting to fight common political obstacles such as bad electoral laws. But he said this it did not require signing pacts.
He said there was still a big task of educating Ugandans on the importance of voting on the basis of ideologies and programmes of each party rather than basing on individual attributes.
Former presidential candidate Abed Bwanika also said it was not necessary to sign the pact now.
Bwanika called for the rejuvenation of the constitutional National Consultative Forum for all registered parties, including the ruling NRM, to discuss changes for the blossoming of multiparty democracy.
National Resistance Movement (NRM) deputy spokesperson Ofwono Opondo said the pact was aimed at soliciting for money from donors.
Ofwono said the parties were trying to get money being peddled through USAID and other American NGOs such as the National Democratic Institute and the International republican Institute.
“They have $15m (over sh24b) purportedly to support democratisation in Uganda. Dormant parties like JEEMA and CP are trying to cash-in and get some money. We are also very aware that there is a conspiracy by international groups against the NRM. It is a game we have been at and we are ready for them,†he said.
Ofwono said the opposition had tried to field various candidates in various parts of the country to beat the NRM but failed.
“They fielded Aggrey Awori in 2001 to deny NRM eastern votes and Chapaa Karuhanga to deny NRM the western votes and JEEMA to deny us the Muslim and Buganda votes but they failed.
“Now they want one candidate but I don’t think it will work. Apart from removing NRM, there should be policy alternatives, which they don’t have,†he said.
and Moses Mulondo
VETERAN politician and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) leader Jaberi Bidandi Ssali has condemned the inter-party cooperation agreement.
“That move was very unfortunate. I see this as another way of forming an opposition movement, which is bound to kill the germinating seeds of multiparty democracy in Uganda,†Bidandi warned.
Bidandi said the cooperation agreement, signed on Tuesday by FDC, UPC, CP and JEEMA, came too early.
“We still have three years. I think leaders of the opposition parties should be very careful not to take steps that will nip in the bud the flourishing of multiparty democracy by reducing their focus to the removal of a regime other than building structures and systems,†he reasoned.
The four parties signed the agreement to work out a common strategy for the 2011 elections.
Although DP had been engaged in the preparations, it did not turn up for the signing ceremony.
Bidandi, a former Cabinet minister, who was a leading advocate for the return to multiparty politics, said building political institutions should be the priority for all political parties.
In an interview, Bidandi observed that all political parties in Uganda need to be streamlined.
“No single party in Uganda is a party in the sense of an organised institution prepared to provide alternative leadership. This is unfortunate because many of us clamoured for opening up political space to allow competition for leadership by political parties not individuals.â€
Bidandi backed the idea of opposition parties uniting to fight common political obstacles such as bad electoral laws. But he said this it did not require signing pacts.
He said there was still a big task of educating Ugandans on the importance of voting on the basis of ideologies and programmes of each party rather than basing on individual attributes.
Former presidential candidate Abed Bwanika also said it was not necessary to sign the pact now.
Bwanika called for the rejuvenation of the constitutional National Consultative Forum for all registered parties, including the ruling NRM, to discuss changes for the blossoming of multiparty democracy.
National Resistance Movement (NRM) deputy spokesperson Ofwono Opondo said the pact was aimed at soliciting for money from donors.
Ofwono said the parties were trying to get money being peddled through USAID and other American NGOs such as the National Democratic Institute and the International republican Institute.
“They have $15m (over sh24b) purportedly to support democratisation in Uganda. Dormant parties like JEEMA and CP are trying to cash-in and get some money. We are also very aware that there is a conspiracy by international groups against the NRM. It is a game we have been at and we are ready for them,†he said.
Ofwono said the opposition had tried to field various candidates in various parts of the country to beat the NRM but failed.
“They fielded Aggrey Awori in 2001 to deny NRM eastern votes and Chapaa Karuhanga to deny NRM the western votes and JEEMA to deny us the Muslim and Buganda votes but they failed.
“Now they want one candidate but I don’t think it will work. Apart from removing NRM, there should be policy alternatives, which they don’t have,†he said.