Besigye sets conditions for talks with Museveni

Uganda’s opposition leader Kizza Besigye speaks in court before his trial for treason in Nakawa in Kampala on May 18, 2016. He says he is ready for talks with President Museveni. PHOTO | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Earlier, Dr Besigye said the country’s intractable problems include impunity and “state capture” that has rendered citizens powerless.
  • Dr Besigye yesterday said that dialogue, is a “very serious matter” to which he would be committed.

KAMPALA

Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has set five conditions for any national dialogue on the political future of Uganda, among them that there be a respected foreign mediator with the capacity to enforce the implementation of agreed terms.

Responding to a question at a press conference in Kampala on whether he would embrace talks, the four-time challenger to President Museveni said he would be open to the idea if the discussions were “properly structured” and had guarantees for implementation of the outcome.

“There must be [a] properly structured process and that is why we have been talking about agreeing on a mutual facilitator that starts the process,” he said, hinting that different actors have tried to broker talks.

The Elders Forum and religious leaders, and before them journalists Conrad Nkutu and Andrew Mwenda, have since the impugned 2011 ballot separately attempted to get Dr Besigye and President Museveni to talk.

All have until now been unsuccessful.

Other political leaders have previously suggested holding a national conference, bringing together political, religious, civic and traditional leaders alongside professionals, to discuss manifestly polarising governance issues including President Museveni’s succession.

ACCEPT, MOVE ON
Whereas the president has said before that he is open to talks, he has rejected outright any pre-conditions, including the Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party’s clarion call for an international audit of the February 2016 presidential vote results.

Dr Besigye claimed he won by 52 per cent, but the Supreme Court in a petitioned filed by losing Independent candidate Amama Mbabazi ruled, as the Electoral Commission had declared, that the incumbent was the victor.

At yesterday’s press conference, Dr Besigye said “if [Mr] Museveni invites me for dialogue I won’t go and that is because it is the same thing as if I invited him for dialogue; you would not expect him to come”.

Information Minister Frank Tumwebaze, the official government spokesman, in a rejoinder last evening said there is no political impasse in the country requiring formal talks with the Opposition or Dr Besigye, unless it is a dialogue about general development of Uganda.

The problem with Besigye, he said, is “always attempting to portray Uganda as a country where anarchy reigns”.

“Let him accept that he lost the election; that there is a government led by President Museveni who defeated him; that his FDC party is not popular; and, he should stop demanding for things outside the constitutional framework,” minister Tumwebaze said, describing Dr Besigye’s posture as “self-deception and self-defeating”.  

SERIOUS MATTER
Earlier, Dr Besigye said the country’s intractable problems include impunity and “state capture” that has rendered citizens powerless and subservient to those in power.

“You were all powerless over my detention [yet] you knew it was illegal; I was shouting but what could you do? Nothing!” he said.

Police placed Dr Besigye under house arrest a day after the February 18, 2016 vote and he would later be charged with treason after a video in which he purported to swear himself as Uganda’s president circulated online.

His trial on treason and other charges have since stalled in court, and he has said he is reviewing any future appearance in court, calling the litigation prosecution.

“We are in a situation where there is state capture. Now the person who has captured the state, if he calls you to talk to him, what are going to do to change that [captivity] even if you actually talk and agree on all kinds of things?

"How are you going to ensure they are implemented?” he said, citing Gambian President Yahya Jammeh’s about-face after initially conceding defeat in the country’s election last month.

Citing the 2006 no-agenda flopped talks between President Museveni and then ex-presidential candidates, Dr Besigye yesterday said that dialogue, is a “very serious matter” to which he would be committed if it brought  “reforms that will take effect and be respected”.