Sejusa backs Besigye on TDA but doubts free and fair elections
Gen David Sejusa
Kampala- The former coordinator of intelligence services, Gen David Sejusa, has supported Dr Kizza Besigye’s decision to stand as FDC flag bearer instead of The Democratic Alliance (TDA), a coalition, whose move to field a joint candidate for 2016, fell flat this week.
Gen Sejusa said the loose coalition of Opposition parties and “democracy seeking groups” did not require a single candidate in the first place.
He said the main contenders, Dr Besigye and former prime minister Amama Mbabazi, are competing for unique voting blocs which they ought to consolidate.
“I don’t understand Mr Mbabazi’s going into TDA. Was he fighting for the 26 per cent of Dr Besigye? His focus should have been reducing Museveni’s 60 per cent,” Gen Sejusa said during an interview with Sunday Monitor on Friday. Besigye scored 26 per cent of the vote in the 2011 presidential elections.
Gen Sejusa advised both aspirants to desist from a smear campaign against each other and pledged to support them.
To contest
On Friday, Dr Besigye announced he would proceed to contest on the FDC ticket in the 2016 presidential elections after TDA failed to choose a joint candidate between him and Mr Mbabazi following several weeks of protracted discussions and contestations.
The TDA was consumed by internal disagreements and suspicions on who the joint candidate should be after both aspirants refused to stand down for either contestant.
Dr Besigye’s candidature is supported by his FDC party and the Conservative Party of Ken Lukyamuzi.
He said TDA failed to reach a consensus on the joint candidate because although Mr Mbabazi had fallen out with the NRM, he had not reached the level to lead the Opposition against the ruling party which he insisted he was still a member of.
On the same day, majority members of TDA comprised of Democratic Party president Norbert Mao, civil society activist Zac Niringiye, Uganda Peoples Congress outgoing leader Olara Otunnu, among others, announced that although the alliance had no official candidate, the parties had endorsed Mr Mbabazi as their flag bearer.
On Friday, Gen Sejusa reiterated his pledge to participate in the 2016 electoral process despite still being in the army. The law does not allow soldiers to participate in politics.
Elections should not be allowed- Sejusa
Gen Sejusa has said the 2016 presidential elections should not be conducted because they are going to be rigged in favour of President Museveni and his ruling NRM party.
He claimed the election outcome has already been predetermined by President Museveni and “escorting” him into such election would be aiding and abetting the illegality.
The general said this would be in stark violation of the Constitution which obliges the country to hold free and fair elections.
“Of course, people can do anything! So what is not feasible? To go into Museveni’s election and he cheats [rigs] it? This election will be stopped, absolutely,” Gen Sejusa said on Friday.
“My position is that if you know he has already rigged the election, why go into it? You rather not take part so the world knows the man competed alone with a few Opposition parties. It is unconstitutional to conduct an election that is not free and fair so you who accompany Museveni into that election are as guilty as him. You are actually abetting and aiding him,” he added.
However, the former coordinator of intelligence services hastened to clarify that stopping an election is not the same as boycotting it.
He did not elaborate how the election will be stopped but in previous interviews with this newspaper, Gen Sejusa had said: “We can’t go into an election and those who want to take part in Museveni’s elections can win but they can’t have it just like Dr Besigye won but didn’t get it… We either transform the entire state, not this ping pong. That is nonsense…. That is the dilemma they must confront and resolve.”
Asked whether this is a shared view he has discussed with other political contestants like Mr Mbabazi and Dr Besigye who are seeking to participate in the elections, Gen Sejusa said: “Oh yes, those other actors agree this is a sham election, the only difference is the question: can we do it?”
Dr Besigye, the FDC flag bearer, has persistently called for electoral reforms, including appointing an independent Electoral Commission before the elections.
However, his call seems to be in futility after Parliament refused to endorse the proposal for reforms. Mr Mbabazi has also separately reiterated the need to reform the current electoral system.
Mr Wasswa Biriggwa, the FDC national chairman, agreed with Gen Sejusa’s conclusion that the 2016 elections will not be free and fair under the current electoral system but did not say whether he also shares the same view that the polls will be stopped.
He said FDC is using the 2016 elections as a struggle for electoral reforms.
“We are continuing to fight for a free and fair election and this election is part of that struggle. We cannot stay away from the election because we don’t want to give Museveni another five years on a silver platter. He must fight for it as we are fighting for it,” Mr Biriggwa said.
“We welcome Sejusa to come and help us but so far, we have not seen him in action.
Since he was part of this system, he should point out where the rigging occurs before the election takes place. Blanket statements won’t help us,” he added.
Ms Josephine Mayanja Nkangi, the spokesperson for Mr Mbabazi’s campaign team, said the claim of election rigging is unverified.
“We don’t deal in rumours. That is not based on a fact so we are going ahead to prepare for the election. If anyone cheats we shall deal with it at that point,” Ms Mayanja said.
Dared
Col Shaban Bantariza, the deputy director of Uganda Media Centre, the government’s public affairs office, dismissed Gen Sejusa’s claims and dared him to challenge the State.
“Do you still find Gen Sejusa credible to quote? I don’t. He is my senior colleague but politically, just ignore him. He was part of the government and the State. If he wants to confront the State, we wish him luck but no political actor should try to use innocent civilians as a shield in their personal wars with the state,” he said.
Mr Jotham Taremwa, the EC spokesperson, said the general has repeated the same allegation over time and it lacks credibility.
“For the last couple of years, Gen Sejusa has been making that allegation, it is now part of his vocabulary. We are tired of that talk. Let him point out where and how we have already rigged for President Museveni,” Mr Taremwa said.
