Majority TDA parties declare Mbabazi candidature

By Vision Reporter

Majority parties in The Democratic Alliance (TDA) have endorsed former Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi, as a joint presidential candidate for the 2016 polls.

The majority parties are: DP, UPC, JEEMA, Federal Alliance and PPP. TDA is a coalition of the main opposition political parties and pressure groups seeking to wrest power from the ruling NRM at presidential and other elective positions across the country.

At a joint news conference held at TDA office in Naguru a Kampala suburb, Mbabazi, flanked by DP president general Nobert Mao and secretary general Mathias Nsubuga, UPC’s Olara Otunnu, JEEMA's Kibirige Mayanja and representatives from People’s Progressive Party as well as the Federal Alliance accepted the nomination.

“I accept that nomination. To my fellow candidates, (Bukenya and Mao) I salute your decision to put the country first," Mbabazi said.

“The doors are still open for Besigye to join us and I hope he will. With true unity, meticulous organisation and a focus that is razor sharp, we will win this election,’ Mbabazi added.

Introducing Mbabazi to reporters as the next President of Uganda, Mao said: “There are those who claim to have always fought for change but we don't need people who show nothing. Mbabazi can lead us to victory.”

He added: “The objectives of TDA are unity and victory in 2016. We hereby call for an emergency session of TDA summit.”

Asked about his campaign team, Mbabazi said: “Our primary focus must be on the future of Uganda. We are wiser and stronger if we make this our focal point of our struggle. Patience is a virtue. Please be patient. Why would I hide my team when am going to elections.”

“With true unity, meticulous organisation and a focus that is razor sharp, we will win this election. There are 15.7 million voters, all of them yearning for change and all of them worse off than they would be under effective governance," he added.

Mbabazi’s endorsement follows a news conference addressed by Forum for Democratic Change flag bearer Dr. Kizza Besigye.

Besigye explained TDA’s failure to come up with a joint presidential candidate.

Besigye said that it was not true that Mbabazi, did not emerge a joint candidate for TDA because he was still in NRM.  

"We felt that traditional opposition voters would not take a former NRM leader and even NRM change members wouldn't vote for me. One candidate would have been a good strategy but we have very little time and that is our biggest enemy.  We talked at length on the option of fronting two candidates for the election and it has its positives,” Besigye explained.

 “Our reservations on the candidature of Mbabazi were on his non-committal to the tenets of our struggle. He answered our questions by saying he would commit to those principles by turning from Saul to Paul. However, our central question was at what point would that Saul turned Paul become the leader of the disciples,” Besigye said.

He explained that they were careful and interrogative so that they don't get just change but qualitative change.