Bobi Wine and Dr. Besigye have announced plans to work together. Photo: Facebook.
Presidential hopeful, Robert Kyagulanyi, a.k.a. Bobi Wine, has condemned Uganda’s dictator Gen. Yoweri Museveni and his handpicked election commission for this week’s announcement that next year’s presidential vote will be conducted electronically.
Recently the dictator who seized power in 1986 said it would be “madness” to hold elections amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Now apparently after a secret meeting with the dictator the election commission released a so-called roadmap for a “scientific” election that bars physical campaigning. It also states that the presidential and parliamentary vote will be held before the end of February 2021.
Political opposition parties have merely weeks to conduct their primaries and announce who their candidate is. Even by the standard of a corrupt dictator like Museveni who has rigged multiple elections during his 34 yesrs in power, the blatant display by the militaristic regime is breathtaking.
The regime depends solely on Western support for its survival and the EU has already indicated that it won’t be a part of the sham. The head of the EU delegation to Uganda Ambassador Attilio Pacifici said it would be “difficult to organize” elections under the circumstances and that the EU won’t deploy observers.
Meanwhile, Bobi Wine, who is the leader of the People Power Movement (PPM), the organization representing the aspirations of the country’s youth –about 80% of the population– sharply denounced Museveni’s bid to yet again rig the vote. “If anyone still had any doubt that Uganda’s Electoral Commission works for and on behalf of President Yoweri Museveni and his regime of blood and shame, today the Commission exposed itself for the whole world to see,” he said. (See statement).
“The most outstanding mockery in the released roadmap is the notion that campaigns and elections shall be held digitally- following Museveni’s directive that they hold what he termed a ‘scientific election’’ he said, “Other stakeholders including political formations, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organizations, etc. have not been consulted!”
To lend legalese to Museveni’s devious scheme, Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, the Chair of Museveni’s hand picked election commission wrote, “The Commission is further mindful of the need to ensure a healthy and safe environment for all stakeholders during the electoral process, and added: “Accordingly, after consultations with, and expert guidance from the Ministry of Health, the Commission has considered and approved a revised Roadmap for the 2020/2021 General Elections…”
These diabolical schemes orchestrated by the shameless 75 year old military dictator are always presented as being in the interest of the welfare of the citizens by crafty sycophants and wordsmiths like Byabakama, even while robbing people of the right to elect government.
The only person the Commission consulted was its paymaster Gen. Museveni, this reporter has learned. Museveni has clear incentive to want to avoid a credible election in 2021, which can still be held if the time period is extended and plans put in place to ensure public safety.
Museveni knows that a combined opposition that includes Bobi Wine’s supporters and those of Dr. Kizza Besigye, the past flagbearer of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) –combined with supporters of Mugisha Muntu of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) and Norbert Mao’s Democratic Party– would sweep him out of office.
This week Bobi Wine and Dr. Besigye held a joint press conference to announce their opposition to the sham proposed “scientific” election and Museveni’s attempt to use the Covid-19 lockdown to his political advantage. Earlier the pair revealed plans to work together to unseat the tyrant.
“The Commission is essentially communicating a decree from President Museveni, who as all Ugandans know is very afraid of competition and has used the COVID19 pandemic to further tighten the noose on opposition political activities,” Bobi Wine said. “Every Ugandan knows that Museveni has since grown old and tired,” Bobi Wine said.
“He has previously stated that a person after clocking 75 years of age, lacks the vigor and stamina to run for office let alone run a country. As always he reneged on this promise. He now sees an opportunity in COVID19 to avoid the embarrassment of probably collapsing at a campaign rally.”
He was referring to an interview given by the dictator on NTV where he clearly stated that he wouldn’t remove the 75 years age limit from Uganda’s constitution or seek the presidency once he’d exceeded that age.
These are two of the countless documented lies Museveni has made, in addition to removing Presidential age limits from the constitution.
