Gen Mugisha Muntu has come to throw more light on why his newly formed Political Party Alliance for National Transformation does not agree with other opposition parties on removing President Yoweri Museveni from power come 2021.
DP on Thursday last week held an event to sign a memorandum of understanding with the People’s Democratic Party (PD) of Dr Abed Bwanika and Social Democratic Party (SDP) of Mike Mabike and officially unveiled the DP bloc as they prepare for 2021 general elections.
In a meeting held at Hotel Africana, the bloc agreed to front a single presidential candidate to face off with President Museveni in the 2021 general presidential elections. The meeting was also attended by Mao and Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, among other prominent opposition political figures.
In an over 700 strong worded statement posted on his Facebook Page, Muntu said ousting Museveni will not solve Uganda’s problems.
The former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president noted that Uganda has been independent for 57 years now but over the period it has had more leaders who have caused the country more harm than good.
“Each new leader came with the promise of changing our politics for the betterment of the people, only to turn out like (or in some cases even worse than) their predecessors. Merely changing leadership therefore, cannot be the answer to our problems,” he stated.
“We contend that our problem is the kind of politics we engage in. The kind in which the people are duped to focus on the individual flag-bearer instead of the policies they stand for. The kind that insists on focusing on the presidential candidate rather than the LC1 councilor. As a result, our political system is such that people will fight to the death to support their presidential candidate, but have no clue what issues the said person stands for.”
According to Muntu, people cannot hold someone accountable if he /she is voted on a basis of personality.
“The recent efforts by like-minded politicians should be seen not as an effort to defeat one player or the other, but as an effort to change the game altogether.”
“The Alliance refuses to play the personality game. We refuse to think of Ugandans as mere pawns to be used in support of personal ambition. We are focused on ensuring that our politics serves the people, not the leaders.”
In the meantime, Muntu thinks Ugandans should focus on local councils, villages and communities in which they live in. To him this will get people focused on serving their communities to contest, regardless of party lines.
“This strategy is long. It is frustrating at times and does not get the quick fifteen minutes of fame that our current politics does. But it is the only way we will transform our country. Once we have a majority of Ugandans asking their leaders what their plan for the community is; once we have our local communities putting their shared interests before ethnicity of the candidates, then we will have a situation where it really doesn’t matter who steps up as a presidential; because the people’s demands will be clear. And their LC representatives will be focused. And MPs will be at the mercy of the people, not the president. And those at the top will have no choice, but to put Country before self,” he said.
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