DP rejects Besigye, Museveni talks

KAMPALA

Opposition Democratic Party (DP) has rejected the planned talks between the former Forum Democratic Change (FDC) candidate Dr Kizza Besigye and President Museveni.
“President Museveni and Dr Besigye can talk but as Ugandans, we are demanding for a national dialogue. I want to tell President Museveni that Interparty Organization for Dialogue (IPOD) is good to hold a dialogue but not enough, necessary but not sufficient,” DP president Mr Norbert Mao.

Mr Mao told journalists in Kampala that politicians should not just reduce Uganda’s issues to a dialogue between two villages.
“Even if the president invited me for the talk I do not think that will be enough for Ugandans. I do not want to go for dialogue to cut a deal for myself but instead to rescue Ugandans. I am 51 and I do not think I have done very badly as a 51 old man,” he added.

He further noted: “I urge Ugandans to put pressure on the politicians to know that they are representing over 40 million Ugandans as they talk about dialogue. In the next few weeks we are going to close ranks with other top leaders who want change and we are going to tour Uganda.”
About the talks
President Museveni and his four-time challenger, Dr Besigye, agreed on five key issues to inform talks planned between them from early last year.

Top on the agenda is an audit of the 2016 presidential election results; which, people on both sides knowledgeable on the matter, said divided the parties from the outset and stymied progress.
Details of a Memorandum of Understanding that the duo signed in February 2017, which Daily Monitor published for the first time last week, show that President Museveni and Dr Besigye signed up to discuss the state of rule of law in the country; a people first principle encapsulating human rights, corruption and governance; pan-Africanism and East Africa integration; and, any other business.

Mr Mao‘s remarks come just days after Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party disregarded talks between the two top Ugandan politicians and insisted on the national dialogue.
The party spokesperson for Jimmy Akena’s faction, Micheal Osinde said the talks between two people cannot solve Uganda’s political question but will only benefit the two individuals.
“The talks between the two could be addressing a different agenda and not to the benefit of all Ugandans,” he said.

[email protected]