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Sent: Monday, November 10, 2003 2:02 PM
Subject: Former Deputy PM Kategaya Insists On Museveni Retiring


Former Deputy PM Kategaya Insists On Museveni Retiring


    
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New Vision (Kampala)

November 8, 2003 
Posted to the web November 10, 2003 

Kampala 

FORMER First Deputy Prime Minister Eriya Kategaya has said President Yoweri Museveni must honour his 2001 re-election promise and retire peacefully in 2006 if he is to remain a respectable statesman, write Felix Osike and Joyce Namutebi.

Kategaya said was Friday morning presenting a paper at a Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (PAFO) workshop held in Kampala.

"My views on this matter have been stated clearly. The country has a unique opportunity in our history to have the president retire peacefully. This means that we have a chance to go to Kololo and see President Museveni handing over to a newly-elected president of Uganda," Kategaya said, drawing applause from the participants.

Kategaya also slammed top Movement leaders who have been trying to silence the elite in their quest for the political and economic development of Uganda.

"This section of society has pioneered new ideas. These new ideas are the ones that have transformed societies. The glorification of peasantry is retrogressive.

"The mission of any enlightened leadership should be aimed at abolition of peasantry as a class," he said.

He said the presence of a large percentage of Ugandans being made up of peasantry was proof of under development and backwardness.

But Capt. Henry Matsiko, the head of the School of Political Education Kyankwanzi, said the country's transition to multi-party politics should be debated in a sober and transparent manner.

"I might have committed, "subversion," but I want to assure you that I have no cause to be subversive and nobody is going to stop me from saying what I believe is good for my country," he said.

He said attempts to give, "half dosages," of political freedoms created loopholes which negative forces exploit.

Kategaya said the president committed himself in writing during the last presidential elections that he was going for his last and final term.

He said if he had the chance he would grab the opportunity to make Uganda like Kenya and Tanzania where presidents can leave the, "chair," and remain respected citizens.

"What a ground breaking precedent in our political history where up to date all our presidents - about six of them - had to flee for their dear lives instead of handing over to the successors and retire in peace to be a source of wisdom and guidance in the future. I hope President Museveni will see the vision of what we are suggesting in earnest," he said.

PAFO chairman Augustine Ruzindana said Parliament would reject the proposal aimed at making President Museveni a life president.

"We cannot accept to be a party to third term project that will eventually translate into a life presidency. History will blame us for not having stood up at the right time. It will be a great danger to this country if this project succeeds. It is possible to stand in the way of this project and we shall succeed," he said.

He said the signs of dictatorship and fascism were now visible. "Parliament will stand up and will not let you down. History is on our side." He said there were attempts to change the voting pattern in Parliament from secret ballot to division lobby.

The chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, Margaret Ssekaggya, said the 1995 Constitution should be respected.

Fritz Kopsieker, the Resident Representative of Friedrich Ebert which organised the workshop, said his organisation supports dialogue.

Kategaya said the essence of the Constitutional Review Commission was to take stock of the performance of the 1995 Constitution and suggest amendments. But he said Article 105 (2) had not been tested in practice to find out what problems were encountered in its implementation.

He said debate on the matter should be allowed. "My advice to those who are trying to silence or divert this debate is do not try, because you will fail. The political landscape in this country and the international situation havechanged."

He said although the Movement's top organs passed resolutions in February and March sanctioning the opening of political space, his reading of what was going on in the movement high circles, "does not convince me that there is genuine willingness to implement those restrictions in time to ensure stability in future."

Kategaya also said lack of common economic approach to the EA development was the main obstacle to regional integration in East Africa.

He said the political and the constitutional matter about the presidents serving two five year-terms had been settled in Kenya and Tanzania.

"We cannot ignore the settled political and constitutional arrangements in place in the neighbouring countries," he said.

He called upon the movement to fully open the political space saying there have been changes in the older political parties.

He criticised the Government for breaking up a peaceful match by some UPC sympathisers in which security agents killed one person in 2002.

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