Museveni Summons Nec Over Parties

Feb 25, 2003

President Yoweri Museveni has summoned Movement bigwigs to discuss a possible return to multiparty politics and the future of the Movement system.

By Felix Osike
President Yoweri Museveni has summoned Movement bigwigs to discuss a possible return to multiparty politics and the future of the Movement system.

The Movement’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting will take place from March 25 to 28 at the Leadership Training Institute, Kyankwanzi and the National Conference (NC) from March 29 to 31 in Kampala.

NEC deals with policy matters while the NC is the highest Movement organ which evolves consensus on key political and economic issues.

The meeting comes at the peak of a political storm kicked off by press reports that Museveni proposed that Uganda returns to multiparty politics to protect the Movement’s economic achievements. Radical movement supporters are opposed to opening up of the political space.

“The chairman of the National Conference and the National Executive Committee of the Movement political system, H.E. Y. K. Museveni, has in accordance with the law, convened the meetings of the two organs,” the National Political Commissar (NPC), Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, said in a statement yesterday.

The Movement Act says the NC shall ordinarily meet once every two years. The last NC meeting was in November 2000.

Museveni said in the notice that the agenda will include the controversial report of the NEC ad hoc committee, the NPC report, the constitutional review exercise, economic issues and mass mobilisation.

Kiyonga said the Movement Secretariat was sending the required documents to NEC and NC members.

The NC will elect the Movement chairperson and vice-chairperson. Currently, Museveni is the chairman and Al Hajji Moses Kigongo his deputy.

The chairperson is the head of the Movement, NC and NEC. Where the president is not the chairperson, he/she automatically becomes a member. Museveni is expected to retain his seat.

An ad hoc NEC committee headed by Kiyonga recently submitted its report to Museveni, recommending the strengthening of the Movement system.

A minority report by the Minister of Local government, Bidandi Ssali, called for the freeing of parties. Bidandi has also called for debate on Museveni’s succession.

Bidandi said the Movement should become a political party to vie for power with other parties in the 2006 general elections. He said the individual merit basis on which previous elections have been held was no longer tenable.

He also opposed a third term for Museveni, saying it would undermine his achievements and those of the Movement.

The NEC report said the Movement should resist any political pressure that would result into the manipulation of the population into holding a referendum on the political system before 2004 as stipulated in the constitution.

It said major changes in the constitution should wait for the Constitutional Review Commission report. It says the Political Organisations Act, which regulates political activity, should protect the Movement against interference from other political forces.
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