UGANDA: Main opposition leader Kizza Besigye quits as leader of his political party and says he will instead concentrate on organising a 'broad and strong' social movement against President Yoweri Museveni
Record ID:
421074
UGANDA: Main opposition leader Kizza Besigye quits as leader of his political party and says he will instead concentrate on organising a 'broad and strong' social movement against President Yoweri Museveni
- Title: UGANDA: Main opposition leader Kizza Besigye quits as leader of his political party and says he will instead concentrate on organising a 'broad and strong' social movement against President Yoweri Museveni
- Date: 16th January 2012
- Summary: KAMPALA, UGANDA (JANUARY 13, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF UGANDAN MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER KIZZA BESIGYE WALKING
- Embargoed: 31st January 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Uganda, Uganda
- Country: Uganda
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA7YLHC7TQ3EBHCPDVVB72KE6RC
- Story Text: Uganda's main opposition leader said he would quit as head of his party and devote more time to organising protests against President Yoweri Museveni's government.
Kizza Besigye, who leads the east African country's biggest opposition party, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), has lost three elections to Museveni since 2001, when he first ran in a presidential contest.
He has, however, rejected the results of all of them, saying the incumbent used violence, voter bribery and widespread rigging.
Museveni has always dismissed Besigye's claims, saying he had won the election overwhelmingly.
Elections observers said at the time that the presence of the military on the streets had created an intimidating atmosphere on voting day, which, with other factors, had jeopardised the integrity of the poll.
Besigye is currently serving his second term at the helm of his party, due to end in 2014, and said the party's constitution allows for a maximum of two terms for presidents.
He said he was seeking to free himself from party responsibilities and devote more time to galvanising his supporters to participate in anti-government protests.
"I consider that I need more time to be involved in the broader social movement that is challenging the dictatorship," he told Reuters in an interview.
A former close ally and personal physician of Museveni, Besigye threatened to call his supporters to the streets if Uganda's last presidential election, in February last year, was rigged.
He subsequently led a series of sometimes violent anti-government demonstrations, dubbed "Walk to Work", that peaked in April and May, drawing a harsh government crackdown that left at least nine people dead.
In one of the protests he was pepper-sprayed in the eyes and badly manhandled, and had to be airlifted to Kenya's capital Nairobi to seek treatment.
"Under this kind of political system, it is not possible for political parties to function let alone to take over power and so what is urgent now is for the country to really organise a broad and strong social movement that will challenge the dictatorship, remove the dictatorship and construct a transition to a democratic dispensation. That is what I would like to be involved in, because that is what is going to liberate the country now," he said.
Traders and shopkeepers in Kampala and elsewhere in Uganda on Wednesday last week shut their shops protesting high interest rates charged by commercial banks.
The shopkeepers' action follows similar protests last year by drivers of public transport vehicles, teachers and lawyers, all protesting various political and economic grievances.
Asked whether he would resume the "Walk to Work" campaigns, Besigye said he would be "involved in some activities this month" and depicted last week's trader's strike as a consequence of broader economic mismanagement by Museveni's government.
Besigye said it was time for a new political "star" to shine against Museveni.
"Political leaders don't leave offices unless they are forced out of offices and they build personality cults and they personalise the offices, that is a mission we set out to achieve for FDC, that we set new standards in politics. If by my departure the party would be... you know... gravely affected then it would be a sad commentary on my leadership, because my leadership is supposed to ensure that there are other generations of competent leaderships," he said.
Besigye said he might still stand for office in the future, but that he would never contest in a presidential election where Museveni was also a candidate because "it would be futile". - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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