Opposition split on 2016 joint candidate, boycott
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Wafula Oguttu (L) and political activist David Pulkol during the retreat at Bugolobi Royal Suites, Kampala. Photo by Stephen Wandera
What you need to know:
Some MPs called for a boycott of the elections, while others were opposed to it.
Kampala- After a two-day retreat, Opposition MPs failed to agree on whether they should have a joint presidential candidate for 2016 or boycott the elections if the government does not adopt their proposed electoral reforms.
During the retreat that was characterised by low attendance, Opposition MPs haggled over whether emphasis should be put on whipping up pressure on the government to adopt the electoral reforms or to come up with a single presidential candidate and participate in the 2016 elections regardless of whether the reforms are carried out.
The retreat had been called to get a briefing from the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) on electoral laws, appraisal on the progress of the electoral reforms campaign by civil society groups and to draw up an action plan if the proposed reforms are rejected by Parliament, which is dominated by the ruling NRM party.
Kalungu East MP Joseph Sewungu told his colleagues that by now, the Opposition should have come up with a presidential candidate to match the ruling National Resistance Movement whose legislators met at a retreat in February last year and endorsed President Museveni as NRM sole candidate for 2016.
Buikwe South MP Lulume Bayiga, Moroto County MP Benson Obua Ogwal, and Bugabula North MP Andrew Allen also spoke in support of a single presidential candidate.
The Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mr Wafula Oguttu, however, argued that talk of a single candidate is pre-mature.
He argued that electoral reforms should be passed first before embarking on the project of an alliance. He was supported by Jinja Municipality MP Paul Mwiru.
“The concern of a candidate is secondary. In politics, if you put it [sole candidate question] at the forefront, it is like [saying] we are forming political parties to have one candidate. The question of whether to have one candidate or not will depend on how we cooperate on these amendments. The original idea is not purely about a sole candidate,” Mr Mwiru submitted.
Having failed to reach consensus on the matter, the Opposition agreed to form a 40-member Committee of elders to study the proposal and come up with a decision on a joint candidate. It is not yet clear how this committee will be constituted or who the members will be.
“The debate we are having on whether we participate in an election as a ritual is healthy. If you approach an election as an occasion for you to take over power under these circumstances, you are kidding yourself,” said Mr Muwanga Kivumbi (Butambala MP).
