Col. Besigye rejects campaign plan

Oct 28, 2010

OPPOSITION parties FDC and UPC yesterday rejected the campaign programme released by the Electoral Commission.FDC wanted its candidate Col. Kizza Besigye to hold rallies throughout Wakiso district on the last day of the campaign.

By Barbara Among

OPPOSITION parties FDC and UPC yesterday rejected the campaign programme released by the Electoral Commission.FDC wanted its candidate Col. Kizza Besigye to hold rallies throughout Wakiso district on the last day of the campaign.

However, Norbert Mao of the DP and independent candidate Samuel Lubega are also expected to hold rallies there on the same day.

NRM’s Yoweri Museveni, Mao and Besigye will hold final rallies in Kampala on February 16, 2011. However, only Museveni will do so in the Central Division.

Beti Kamya of the Uganda Federal Alliance will have her final rally in Mukono, Lubega in Kyaddondo North in Wakiso district, Bidandi Ssali in Butambala and Abed Bwanika in Kyaddondo East.

“It was a case of first come, first serve, but the parties which came in this morning (Thursday) were given our slots. We cannot accept this,” said FDC electoral commissioner Dan Mugarura.

“To say we only campaign in Kyaddondo north is unfair and against what we agreed. Why can’t we have some fair share in Wakiso?”

The stand-off came at the end of a two-day meeting at the commission’s headquarters to harmonise the campaign programme. At the end of the meeting, the commission drew a memorandum of understanding, which the eight presidential candidates were expected to sign. The rest did except Besigye and Olara Otunnu’s representatives.

The campaign trail will last 112 days. There are also 112 districts.

Besigye’s representative said their party had earlier let Museveni campaign in all divisions in Kampala except Kawempe South on the final day. He said they, in turn, wanted Besigye to campaign throughout Wakiso that day.

He said when FDC first submitted its programme on Wednesday, the commission gave them Wakiso district, but yesterday, it included Mao and Lubega.

“Why should you ask us to compromise when FDC is being put in a corner?” asked Mugarura.

UPC secretary general Joseph Bbosa also rejected the timetable, saying it allows Otunnu to campaign in half of the country.

“We are not singing up because only half of our programme is included,” said Bbosa. “Since it is not mandatory to pick the programme, we shall pick it at an appropriate time.”

Commission chairman Badru Kiggungu, however, warned the two parties against rejecting the timetable, which he said would be forward to the Police.

“What we have is official and everybody is bound by the programme. If there is a problem along the way, we can come back and harmonise it,” he said.

Kiggundu said UPC was included half-way the programme because it submitted the full campaign program late, but it would be allocated available space on the timetable.

Kiggundu also gave his autobiography to FDC leaders. “Read it and get to know who Kiggundu is,” he remarked.

On the nomination day at Namboole, Njuba gave a copy of the book: “The Correct Line. Uganda Under Museveni?” to Kiggundu.

The campaigns for the February 18, 2011 elections kicked off yesterday. The eight candidates are Museveni, Mao, Olara, Kizza Besigye, Kamya, Bidandi Ssali, Bwanika and Lubega.




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