We are ready to work with Sejusa, says DP
L-R: Gen David Sejusa, Jinja municipality Mayor Muhammad Kezaala, DP spokesperson Kenneth Paul Kakande and DP Secretary General Mathias Nsubuga at the DP headquarters in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
Alliance. DP spokesperson said Gen Sejusa wrote to the party leadership requesting for a meeting and NEC agreed to meet him
Kampala.
The Democratic Party (DP) has said the party is ready to work with the Former Coordinator of Intelligence Services, Gen David Sejusa, to cause regime change in the country.
The announcement followed a closed-door meeting yesterday at the DP headquarters in Kampala between Gen Sejusa and DP National Executive Committee (NEC) led by DP national chairman Baswale Kezaala and acting president Mathias Nsubuga.
After the meeting NEC announced they had resolved to work with the general who returned to the country last year from exile.
DP spokesperson Kenneth Kakande while briefing journalists said: “We are not only working to promote the electoral reforms campaign but we are also working to bring regime change in the country through sensitising people from the grassroots,” Mr Kakande said.
He added that Gen Sejusa wrote to DP requesting for a meeting and NEC agreed to meet him on behalf of DP.
Gen Sejusa, urged Opposition political parties to boycott the forthcoming 2016 polls if the electoral reforms they demanded are not implemented.
“This time, the message for change must be different. If these issues (reforms) are not resolved, we shall not have elections,” he said, adding that, “There is a need for capacity building especially in political parties. These are the issues which must be discussed and resolved. What we do is always defined by the results,” Gen Sejusa said.
He said Opposition parties should keep their identity and strength in order to contribute to the liberation of the country.
When asked if he is ready to contest in the Inter-Party Coalition, Gen Sejusa said Opposition needs to tackle the fundamental issues first and once they are resolved, everybody can contest and win if they have capacity.
He urged Opposition leaders to identify the nature of their struggle if they want to bring about change in the country.
“What are political parties doing which has not been done in previous general elections? Gen Sejusa asked.
“It is not good to do things over and over when you are getting the same results,” he added.
When asked why he is speaking for Opposition yet he was among the prominent members of the military, Gen Sejusa said that did not call for any explanation.
“I don’t have anything to explain but, Opposition should listen to what I am telling them because I have been there for some time,” he said.
When contacted, Mr Okello Lucima, the UPC spokesperson, said it’s not necessary to boycott elections because every political party has its own strategy in their preparations for general elections.
“Right now we need a common front as we are still pushing for electoral reforms,” Mr Lucima said.
FDC spokesperson John Kikonyogo said while the party is pushing for reforms, a decision has not yet been taken on whether to boycott the polls or not.
“Parliament should maximise all the remaining period of time to ensure free and fair elections,” Mr Kikonyogo said.
Similar case
This is not the first political leader to visit DP offices. Last month the former vice president, Mr Gilbert Bukenya, paid a courtesy visit to DP offices and spoke about campaign for electoral reforms. During the meeting, DP and Mr Bukenya agreed on 2016 election coalition.
