“We are all prisoners, stop fighting each other”- Besigye to opposition members

Veteran politician, Dr Kizza Besigye has called on all members of the opposition from different Political Parties to stop bickering with each other because they are all in the same boat.

Speaking during opposition’s two-day workshop on Electoral and Constitutional Reforms on Friday at Commonwealth Hotel in Munyonyo, the four-time presidential candidate noted that whoever is playing their politics on the opposition side must know that they are not exceptional but they are all prisoners like others, therefore, there is need for unity if they are to overthrow the current regime.

“Stop these narratives that we are competing for power; that you are red or blue or another colour yet we are all Prisoners! Prisoners with no power can’t compete for power! Let us work together and seek the real power for the population,” Dr. Besigye said.

The former President General of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) asserted that ever since Uganda attained her independence, there has never been any peaceful transition of power because of the recurring selfish motives of some of the political players since 1962.

“When the Europeans left Africa, they left us with guns, which they had been dominating us with. These same guns have been used by those very people they left them with to continue their selfish domination. And it’s the same kind of domination that we still have today. That is why we are here talking about reforms 60 years after independence, in which the people of Uganda have never removed any leader. All leaders have been lifted into office by guns and removed by guns, so clearly people don’t have power. Those who have power have guns and people with guns are sovereign but not the people of Uganda that is why Museveni is sovereign,” Besigye said.

He added that members of the opposition must give the reality of unity to the population so that they understand the dilemma that they are prisoners. He told the members of the opposition that until when they have united that’s when they will see the success of their struggle.

“Why should we compete amongst ourselves? We should simply unite and join together until we have overcome that is when we should start thinking of the colours when we have a new constitution, instituted and well balanced in favour of every Ugandan,” he said.

Besigye further noted that one of the reasons why the struggle to remove President Museveni has not succeeded is because most members of the opposition see each other as rivals and most of them are tied to attaining positions.

“We stop looking at how we will share after the struggle before figuring out how we will liberate Ugandans. I think that is too early that is why I always say this and I mean it that ‘I Kizza Besigye will not seek nor accept any position in any new government that will come out of our struggle, I will not’ Why? Because the biggest problem that the country has now is not having the owners. The reason why people in opposition struggle for offices is that, that is where power is, not in the population but our struggle is to empower the population and make leaders their servants. We should stop  confusing struggle with the election,” he said.