Besigye reveals election agenda
Kampala
Forum for Democratic Change leader Kiiza Besigye has promised to reduce the size of Cabinet and revive the cooperative movement if elected President in 2011. Dr Besigye’s revelation is contained in comments, broadly outlining what his presidential election manifesto could look like, which he made at a town hall meeting hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the weekend.
The pledges
He said he plans to invest more in agriculture which employs about 80 per cent of Ugandans if elected in line with his policy to re-introduce the cooperative unions that were spread across the country’s four major regions.
He also promised to re-build infrastructure, arguing that Uganda’s economy cannot function under the current poor infrastructure, most of which, like the popular cooperative movement, was built and thrived under former leader Apollo Milton Obote of the Uganda Peoples Congress.
The FDC leader, who observers described as being happy and humorous, addressed an audience of Ugandan and non-Ugandan listeners. During the two-hour speech, Dr Besigye castigated President Museveni for presiding over a “patrimonial state” where he believes he has God-like rights over those around him.
Dr Besigye described Uganda as a patrimonial state where the president has all paternal rights. “A president is next to God”, Dr Besigye, said in reference to a statement which he said President Museveni has made in the past.
“He (Museveni) probably believes in God the father, God the son and God the president”, Dr Besigye said.
Yesterday, FDC spokesman Wafula Oguttu confirmed that the contents of Dr Besigye’s speech captured the highlights of what the party will present to Ugandans during the coming campaigns.
“Whatever Dr Besigye said is true and this is what is contained in our manifesto. We shall reduce the number of members of cabinet to the level that is provided in our Constitution (21 except where Parliament approves a larger team). There is total decay in everything ... you go to health centres, no drugs, no running water,” Mr Oguttu said.
President Museveni has a team of 27 cabinet ministers and 43 ministers of state along with tens of assistants and advisers. He also promised to professionalise the army, deal with corruption and create a vibrant civil society.
