Besigye plots convention for opposition members

Opposition activist Kizza Besigye yesterday said he and the people’s government are organising a national convention for all change-seeking Ugandans to devise means of ending President Museveni’s leadership.
He declined to say when and where the said convention will take place, adding that will be revealed ‘soon’.

President Museveni’s principal challenger for the past two decades said this at his private office in Kampala, flanked by Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Forum for Democratic Change president Amuriat Oboi and other members of the people’s government.
He used the same occasion to unveil a new activism platform dubbed Article 3 Campaign, Twerwaneko, a Luganda word for “let’s fight back”.

The name of the new campaign is derived from Article 3 of the Constitution of Uganda, which Dr Besigye said is the only safeguard Ugandans still have against what he called Mr Museveni’s intention to be president for life.
The Opposition leader said the removal of presidential term limits in 2005 and presidential age limit in 2017 leaves no other bar to President Museveni’s suspected quest to rule for life.

“The situation in our country requires us to focus ourselves unto Article 3, and that is the operative Article that is now remaining for all of us in the Constitution,” Dr Besigye said.

Specifically, the campaign is based on Article 3(4) and 3(5). Article 3(4) reads: “All citizens of Uganda shall have the right and duty at all times — (a) to defend this Constitution and, in particular, to resist any person or group of persons seeking to overthrow the established constitutional order; and (b) to do all in their power to restore this Constitution after it has been suspended, overthrown, abrogated or amended contrary to its provisions.”

Article 3(5) reads as follows: “Any person or group of persons who, as required by clause (4) of this Article, resists the suspension, overthrow, abrogation or amendment of this Constitution commits no offence.”
Dr Besigye said President Museveni has breached the Constitution and, therefore Ugandans are duty-bound to resist his rule as Article 3 commands.

Responding to a question about what means they intend to use to carry out the resistance referred to, Dr Besigye said it will be a matter for the national convention to decide, but added that he and his colleagues have ideas on how they intend to go about it, which they want to first discuss with other Opposition forces.
He, however, said the only resistance they will engage will be non-violent.

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