Besigye dares Museveni to live joint TV debate

FDC's Kizza Besigye. File Photo

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Public discussion. Dr Besigye said they should all sit in one place as presidential candidates and discuss publicly what they intend to do for the country

Kampala.

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, yesterday challenged President Museveni to a live television debate to discuss national issues.

Speaking at Buwembe Sub-county, his first stopover in Busia District, Dr Besigye said the government had called him a liar for promising to increase teachers’ salaries.

“When I made these proposals, people in government said I am a liar. In other countries, candidates hold joint live debates. I want to sit with Mr Museveni and the other candidates [at televised public debate] so that we discuss what we intend to do,” Dr Besigye said.

“I do not want to speak from here and he (Mr Museveni) also goes to Koboko and says I am telling lies. Let us sit in one place and showcase our proposals,” Dr Besigye added.
While addressing a press conference at the end of his campaign tour of West Nile sub-region on Thursday, Mr Museveni dismissed Dr Besigye’s proposal to increase teachers’ salaries as unachievable.

Dr Besigye has promised to increase the minimum salary for primary school teachers to Shs650,000 and Shs1m per month for secondary school teachers, beginning July next year, if he is elected president.

He has further proposed to increase the minimum salary for soldiers and policemen to match that of primary school teachers [at Shs650,000], and raise starting salaries for doctors to Shs3.5m per month.

Dr Besigye becomes the second candidate to call for a joint presidential candidates’ live debate, following independent candidate Prof Venansius Baryamureeba.

In mid-August, the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) floated the idea of organising a presidential candidates’ debate.

Mr Joshua Kitakule, the IRCU secretary general, then said the debate would compel presidential candidates to commit to running a peaceful campaign and stick to issues affecting voters.

Mr Kitakule said ICRU had secured commitment from candidates including President Museveni, to attend the debate at Kampala Serena International Conference Centre Kampala on January, 15, next year.

In 1996, a scheduled presidential debate at the Kampala International Conference Centre flopped after only candidate Kibirige Mayanja showed up, with the other two candidates (Dr Paul Paul Ssemogerere and Mr Museveni) each sending a representative from their campaign taskforces.