Otunnu launches manifesto
Dec 09, 2010
THE Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), presidential candidate, Olara Otunnu, has launched his manifesto with emphasis on empowering Ugandans living in the diaspora.
By Raymond Baguma
THE Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), presidential candidate, Olara Otunnu, has launched his manifesto with emphasis on empowering Ugandans living in the diaspora.
Otunnu plans to set up a department that will engage Ugandans living in the diaspora to participate in programmes at home. The department will be under the President’s Office and will be headed by a minister of state.
“Under this department, Ugandans living abroad will be able to vote and to compete for elective office,†Otunnu said.
The manifesto was launched on Tuesday in Jinja district.
The document criticises NRM policies and offers UPC alternatives in education, health care, promotion of transparency, agriculture and industrialization among others.
“We shall also reserve 40% of all national leadership positions for women,†added Otunnu.
He explained that these positions would be awarded on merit and would include ministerial positions, permanent secretaries, commissioners, heads of statutory bodies, and foreign service posts.
About oil revenues, the UPC manifesto outlines plans to eliminate secrecy in dealings surrounding oil exploitation and revenue sharing agreements. Bidding processes will be ‘transparent’, the manisfesto reads in part.
“We also plan to make local communities the immediate beneficiaries of oil revenues by directly giving 20% to them,†Otunnu explained.
University entry Government sponsorship schemes will be overhauled and supplemented with student loan schemes.
“We want to abolish the State House scholarship scheme and re-establish the National Scholarship Board to manage university scholarships. We shall also create special scholarships for disadvantaged students from Luwero, northern and eastern Uganda alongside loans,†Otunnu said.
Otunnu also promised to re-open Cooperatives Bank and to revive the Produce Marketing Board and district farm institutes to provide agricultural research and extension services.
THE Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), presidential candidate, Olara Otunnu, has launched his manifesto with emphasis on empowering Ugandans living in the diaspora.
Otunnu plans to set up a department that will engage Ugandans living in the diaspora to participate in programmes at home. The department will be under the President’s Office and will be headed by a minister of state.
“Under this department, Ugandans living abroad will be able to vote and to compete for elective office,†Otunnu said.
The manifesto was launched on Tuesday in Jinja district.
The document criticises NRM policies and offers UPC alternatives in education, health care, promotion of transparency, agriculture and industrialization among others.
“We shall also reserve 40% of all national leadership positions for women,†added Otunnu.
He explained that these positions would be awarded on merit and would include ministerial positions, permanent secretaries, commissioners, heads of statutory bodies, and foreign service posts.
About oil revenues, the UPC manifesto outlines plans to eliminate secrecy in dealings surrounding oil exploitation and revenue sharing agreements. Bidding processes will be ‘transparent’, the manisfesto reads in part.
“We also plan to make local communities the immediate beneficiaries of oil revenues by directly giving 20% to them,†Otunnu explained.
University entry Government sponsorship schemes will be overhauled and supplemented with student loan schemes.
“We want to abolish the State House scholarship scheme and re-establish the National Scholarship Board to manage university scholarships. We shall also create special scholarships for disadvantaged students from Luwero, northern and eastern Uganda alongside loans,†Otunnu said.
Otunnu also promised to re-open Cooperatives Bank and to revive the Produce Marketing Board and district farm institutes to provide agricultural research and extension services.