Opposition leaders sign new pact to work together to defeat Museveni

A joint statement read by the NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya called out the government for what it described as constant electoral fraud as exemplified in the by-elections of Kayunga, Omoro, and, most recently, Soroti.

“In all the last general or by-elections, several political parties and formations have continuously participated with belief in democracy and rule of law as the modest means through which they could achieve a peaceful transition for the nation and change of leaders at lower levels…unfortunately, the quality of elections has now gone from bad to worse-each election being worse than the previous one,” the joint statement reads in part.

After a brief recap of the recent three by-elections, the leaders of the varied political parties and formations pledged a unity of purpose to defeat Museveni.

“Going forward, we shall jointly or severally use any upcoming elections to organise and rally the population to defend their democratic rights and the election madness that has bedeviled the country since independence,” the statement continues.

In the most recent by-election in Soroti, NUP and the FDC closed ranks to support Attan Moses of the FDC on the final day of the campaign.

However, their eleventh-hour clarion call did not ensure their candidate a win.

Commitments made

Erias Lukwago, the vice president of the FDC in the central region, committed FDC to the agreement adding that this was an opportunity to oust “a tyrant” through legal means. Lukwago called on Ugandans to use the legal authority granted to them by the constitution to overthrow the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Dr Kizza Besigye, the leader of the People’s Front for Transition and four-time presidential candidate, said the NRM administration uses elections to legitimise its misrule and makes all Ugandans who take part in said elections complicit in this misrule.

He then anthologised the arrests and vote-stuffing during elections passed while decrying what he calls an economic crisis in the country, adding that Ugandans must rise up against a government seemingly caught in the throes of gunmen.

Robert Kyagulanyi, the NUP party president, agreed with Besigye that elections might not cause regime change, but said parties should however participate in them as an opportunity sensitise their supporters.

Kyagulanyi also asked NUP and FDC members to stop creating an imaginary rivalry between him and Besigye but rather unite in support of leadership change.

Past coalitions

The coalition of opposition parties formed in 1996 is the Inter-Party Forces Coalition (IPFC), The Group of six political parties and organizations (G6), and The Group of Seven political parties and organisations (G7).

Other coalitions are the 2011 Inter Party Coalition (IPC) and recently The Democratic Alliance (TDA) ahead of the 2016 general election.

Before the recently concluded general elections, opposition political parties under their Unity in Diversity (UID) Forum convened by former presidential candidate Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere signed an agreement to work together during and after the elections, but the agreement was never implemented.

In this context, Asuman Basaalirwa of JEEMA and Saddam Gayira of the PPP hoped that this coalition will be different.