Besigye says he is still the man to beat Museveni

Kampala
Dr Kizza Besigye, who lost to President Museveni in the 2001 and 2006 elections, has asked for a chance to take on the incumbent for the third time.

Dr Besigye was speaking in Kampala on Saturday morning as part of his campaign for re-election as FDC president – which would make him the opposition party’s candidate in next year’s election.
The opposition leader took 29 per cent of the vote in 2001 when he stood under the Reform Agenda pressure group, and 37 per cent in 2006 when he stood under the FDC umbrella.

The Supreme Court found widespread irregularities in both elections but ruled, in 2006, that these were not substantial enough to change the outcome of the result.

Dr Besigye yesterday sought to reassure party supporters that he can be an electable candidate on the third attempt.

“People say to me that you have been a candidate twice and lost,” Besigye said yesterday, “but I did not lose. You lose a free and fair election and there has never been one.

“In all elections that we have had, court decided that they were not free and fair; it’s not me but the court which decided. Our problem has not been popular support, it has been the system.”

Dr Besigye, who is set to start a four-day campaign in Bunyoro sub-region today, indicated that he would be running on a ticket to end wastage of public resources and establish a clean and efficient government.

He said: “We shall radically cut down the size of this government. Even those who are supporting us; don’t expect us to reward you with ministerial positions. We shall dismantle the patronage system which has been created by NRM and our government will always be supported by the popular support at the bottom but not power-brokers.”

Dr Besigye served in the Bush War that brought Museveni to power in 1986, and also served in government until 1999 when he broke ranks with the NRM administration which he accused of betraying the ideals of restoring good governance and democracy which had inspired the war in the first place.

The official, who retired from the army at the rank of colonel, said he would professionalise the army if elected. He said President Museveni, who ran in 2001 on the ticket of professionalising the army, had failed to do so, and was instead presiding over an army in which a disproportionate amount of resources is spent on the Presidential Guard Brigade.

“We shall improve the welfare of the people who serve in the forces. The military has been a source of power for the NRM but our soldiers still live in shacks,” he said.

He also promised to double teachers’ salaries to Shs400,000 per month, improve the welfare of medical workers across the country, and invest in agricultural research.

Respect for Muntu
Dr Besigye also said he has the “highest respect” for his rival for the FDC top job, former army commander Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Mugisha Muntu.“We have struggled shoulder-to-shoulder together but we are talking about an election where people have to decide who to lead them,” Besigye said.

“I am happy Gen. Muntu is launching himself. I do not need to launch myself because I have been around for a while and majority of Ugandans know who I am, and frankly this is the strongest part of our campaign. By the time Gen. Muntu stops launching himself the campaign will be over.”

He added: “I think Gen. Muntu is doing a good thing to come out but we are talking about an election which is 12 months away. I have always told members of FDC who aspire to lead the party to come up. We must have a large pool of national leaders within our party. As you know I am serving my last term as the party president, we must have people who are ready to take the party forward.”

The FDC election will be held in April during the party’s delegates’ conference. Although opposition parties under the Inter-Party Cooperation are mulling the idea of sponsoring a joint candidate, whoever wins the contest between Dr Besigye and Maj. Gen. Muntu is likely to lead that alliance by virtue of the FDC being the largest opposition party.

President Museveni’s position as the NRM candidate in the next election is all but guaranteed after the party’s top leaders endorsed the candidate, who will mark 24 years in power on Tuesday, as their flag bearer in the 2011 election.