As opposition and civil society drum up support for electoral and constitutional reforms, free and fair elections in 2016.
While on a radio talk show at POWER FM, the former FDC leader said that in order to have free and fair elections in 2016, much more needs to be done especially on the entire systems of the state.
Of late the political opposition was joined by the government in announcing constitutional amendments which were tabled to Parliament. The proposals are being handled by the subcommittee headed by the third deputy Prime Minister Moses Ali.
Besigye says that whereas it is important for the country to have an independent Electoral Commission to have credible elections, this goal cannot be attained by just changing the title of the Electoral Body and appointment of its commissioners but rather more fundamental changes.
“Even if you made those important adjustments..….let no body deceive him/herself, we shall not have a free and fair elections even then,” Besigye said.
When asked what it would take to have free and fair elections, Besigye said that it will take restructuring the whole state.
The fact of the matter is that we have a movement state, so what requires to be independent is not just the Electoral Commission, we need a state independent from the ruling party, Besigye added.
He emphasized that the state Ugandans now is a captivity state, it was captured by the NRM going on to dominate the entire state machinery including the judiciary, parliament, the police and civil service.
Why concentrate on Museveni?
For those who criticize the opposition for not having alternative policies and ideologies but rather keep on attacking President Museveni, Besigye says that currently the major challenge the country is facing is being in captivity.
Besigye says its only after liberating the country that a platform for discussing Ideologies and policies would be created.
“NRM captured the state and Museveni captured the NRM therefore the struggle now is not about ideologies, it is not a struggle about policies, ” Besigye said.
He pointed out that the current campaign by the opposition and the civil society is not to wish to conduhect UPE (Universal Primary Education), or how to structure the education sector or stopping UPDF soldiers from implementing the NAADS saying that this is not the real conversation.
Rather, Besigye said: “The conservation first and foremost is freeing the state (from captivity) such that those discussions can take place.”
Wayforward
It is on this note that Besigye called on every Ugandan who wants to see positive change in the social, economic and political aspects of the country, to play their role by exerting pressure on the current regime.
Besigye said the Opposition now wants the citizens themselves to come up and remove the small group in power instead of leaving the battle to another small group of opposition politicians, the pressure must come from the citizens.
“If you want lasting change then everybody…. wherever you are, and we are not saying that people must come to the streets no, every citizen must recognize their responsibility to do whatever, wherever to put pressure on the regime, so the first pressure every citizen can exert is simply not to cooperate with government,” Besigye added.
In response to the question, whether people should not cooperate even on something that is just or right, Besigye affirmed that people still have to find a way not to cooperate if they want change.
However Besigye quickly qualified his statement saying the pressure does not necessarily have to be through violent means to bring government to its knees although the society today is so violent.
slubambula@gmail.com
