The President for National Unity Platform (NUP), Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has vowed to join efforts with other opposition leaders to look for plan B to remove President Kaguta Museveni from power.
Bobi Wine said that they are tired of Museveni hoodwinking them with his ‘bogus’ elections.
Bobi Wine made these remarks while appearing on “Ebigambo Tebitta”, a political interview on NTV today, 30th, July, 2022.
“I am in talks with my fellow leaders not only in NUP but other parties like Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), JEEMA and Democratic Party (DP) members that are still willing so that we can find a way forward,” he said.
He added, “We cannot keep doing the same thing so many times while getting the same results. So, it is time we talked as leaders to decide what has to be done.”
Bobi emphasized that they cannot keep involving themselves in such politics where they submit their people into an elections that is not free and fair, insisting that it will seem as though they are part of the ‘syndicate.’
When he was asked if their decision to quit elections won’t affect democracy, Bobi Wine revealed that democracy is voting that is free and fair, however, the kind of voting in Uganda is not free and it’s not fair at all.
He explained, “Voting here involves killing, torturing, arresting people just like what happened in Soroti East (during the by-elections) where they arrested the FDC president and others and yet it is not the first time because this has been happening.
“What happened in the Soroti East by-election is saddening. This was the case in Soroti, Kayunga and Omoro. The government is trying to make people hate elections.”
He further divulged that they (opposition) only use the election as a mobilization tool.
“We use these elections as a mobilization tool, as an opportunity to meet people. I am not allowed to hold political gatherings even though there is a provision for it in the law but everyone is allowed to do that except me.”
Bobi Wine also disclosed that the only problem they had before was that they were not connecting as opposition leaders.
They were fighting each other not knowing this was making Museveni stronger.
“We are also a problem to ourselves as opposition, we won’t heap all the blame in Museveni pressing us, we are a problem because we are the very reason for our splitting. We may plan to work together as leaders but you will find some members in our group trying to separate the connection between us.”
He asserted that they (opposition) have a problem of shallow satisfaction because they have been too oppressed.
“We have a problem of shallow satisfaction. We have been too oppressed and when a few people get to high offices, they get too comfortable and do not want to change anything yet change has to be radical,” he stated.
When he was asked if he is okay with another person leading the front while he follows, Bobi Wine contended that it is not about who is leading, it is about what their goal is as opposition, which is to weaken National Resistance Movement (NRM) and their leadership.
He revealed that the reason why NUP did not front a candidate for the Soroti by-election is that they had to sacrifice because it is part of the unity they are trying to build.
“Sacrifice is a part of unity. The first thing we need to sacrifice is our egos. There was no need for NUP to have a candidate in Soroti because we are a people power meaning we listen to the voice of the people,” he added.
Speaking about the appointment of DP president Nobert Mao as Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Bobi Wine noted that he was given the position simply to fight opposition and more particularly NUP.
“First of all, the main reason as to why Mao was given that position is because he has been fighting us. It is Museveni trying to fight us indirectly and that is why he keeps such jobs for people like Mao.”
“Once he finishes the assignments Museveni gave him like fighting opposition, changing the voting rights and voting him again as president, Museveni will have to dump him as he has always done,” Bobi Said.
Bobi Wine joins four-time presidential candidate Kizza Besigye in admitting that elections can no longer remove President Museveni.
Before the 2021 general elections, Besigye told his opposition counterparts that after competing with Museveni in four elections, he has finally come to a conclusion that he cannot be removed through voting.
He rallied the opposition to stand together and get plan B which involved boycotting the 2021 election.
By Hope Kalamira
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