Ugandans-At-Heart

INTERPARTY COOPERATION, IPC

IPC Bureau, 6, Katonga Road, Lower Nakasero, KAMPALA

+ Embargoed for release before  0930 Hrs EAST January  17, 2012,

PRESS STATEMENT

ON THE STATE OF THE NATION AS NRM CELEBRATES 26 YEARS IN POWER

Kampala, Tuesday 17^th January 2012

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

Please accept our most heartfelt best wishes for a happy and prosperous new year, 2012. We hope that it will bring joy to you and your loved ones. We are optimistic that this year will bring major victories in the struggle for genuine democracy, and good government. This year is important.  This October, Uganda marks 50 years of independence. It is time to take stock of the achievements and failures of the last half a century and propose a way forward for our country.

You have all heard that the NRM government will, as usual, spend huge sums of tax payers’ money on its own January 26^th anniversary. The theme of NRM’s 26^th Anniversary is:  “Uganda the land of opportunities: NRM’s Contribution during the last half of the 50 years of Uganda’s Independence”.

This ever lavish celebration comes at a time when over 7000 teachers have not received their December 2011 salary. This is the same time when the government has, to date, barely five months to the next budget reading managed to release only 20% of the development budget. The level of unemployment among the youth in Uganda has shot to a dangerous 83 per cent. This puts Uganda in second place after Niger in the world to have the youngest and most unemployed population.

They celebrate this January when we all recall that this last Christmas alone, at least 14 mothers failed to witness the joy of childbirth when died while in labor at only two hospitals that were reported. At Mulago Referral Hospital, 12 mothers were reported dead while two others died at Lacor Hospital in Gulu. We all know that many others countrywide died unrecorded. How can a woman celebrate this day?

1. Uganda’s external debt has risen nearly fourfold in three years to $4 billion, or 24 percent of gross domestic product, and is expected to rise to 31 percent of GDP by 2015, according to a government report released in March 2010. Uganda’s external debt stood at $1.1 billion in June 2006. Yet there is nothing to show for the huge debt burden, most of which has been squandered by corrupt government officials. The health system is down, the roads are in shambles, the education sector is ailing – teachers at all levels of education are threatening to strike again unless their grievances are positively responded to.

1. Corruption scandals have bedeviled the nation, involving some of the most influential officials in the NRM government. Nearly half of the cabinet is implicated in one way or the other in a corruption case. In their preliminary defence, some implicated ministers have mentioned the president’s name. This can not be taken lightly. This is the year to uncover all the truth regarding corruption at the highest level in this country. This is the year when citizens should demand full accountability without fear or favor.

1. Inflation in Uganda is at a staggering 31%. Interest rates have risen to un-proportional levels, the cost of money is killing business. The traders are on strike. Schools are opening shortly with hiked fees, parents, whose salaries and incomes in general have not improved at all in the past year are at a loss at what to do. We know where it all started. During the last fraudulent Presidential elections of February 2011, the ruling party, under the leadership of the president raided the national coffers and spent over USh. 650 billion, (without approval by parliament), in voter bribes and other election related pledges. USh. 169 billion has been paid out to one individual, the chairman of the NRM Entrepreneur League in dubious circumstances that the president attempts to deny any knowledge of.  We know who is responsible for the economic hardship Ugandans are facing today and we will not tire until all those who have caused this crisis are held accountable for their actions.

1. Uganda’s human rights record has continued to plunge. Authoritative  reports including the Uganda Human Rights annual reports document The Uganda Police Force as  leading in human rights abuse. In response, the president found it ‘prudent’ to reward the Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura with a new contract and promoted him to Lt. General.  Now, Elizabeth Kuteesa, the infamous former head of CID who confessed to having forged evidence in the scandalous rape case of Col. Kizza Besigye has been seconded by the government and appointed to an important INTERPOL job. We condemn these two developments in the strongest terms and call upon all Ugandans to petition fellow citizens and the international community to see that these two persons who should be answering serious charges of human rights abuse and professional indiscipline respectively, are not rewarded. Impunity must stop.

1. While Uganda at he national level currently produces sufficient food to meet the needs of its population, the proportion of Ugandans unable to access adequate calories increased from 59% in 1999 to 69% in 2006 (2010 estimates: 72%). 38% of Uganda’s children under 5 years suffer from chronic malnutrition (stunting). 16% suffer from underweight. 6% suffer form acute malnutrition. In response, the president of Uganda has publicly opposed the school lunch programme in UPE schools.

1. With all these and other outstanding failures of the government, it is inconceivable that the NRM government should be celebrating. In fact the whole idea of January 26^th being a National day should be abolished, as it is a partisan celebration in a multiparty democracy.  It should be conveniently forgotten just like the Idi Amin’s January 25^th liberation day celebrations. For the deplorable economic social and political condition in which Uganda finds herself today, the party that boasts of having contributed to half of Uganda’s independence period, NRM does not have the moral authority to celebrate. The gross leadership failures of NRM cannot be the just price of the hundreds of thousands of human lives that were lost and the tremendous social cost of   the 5 year guerilla war in which we all participated or were affected indirectly or directly.

1. 07.  We call upon all Ugandans to boycott the forthcoming scandalous January 26th celebration and demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the 26 year mismanagement and plunder of their country through every constitutional and democratic means available to them. We appeal to all Ugandans to organise activities to denounce the 26 years of lies, public theft, land grabbing, hoodwinking and selfish leadership.

1. IPC has warned Ugandans for years now, of the dangers of state inspired corruption, endless presidential term limits and excessive presidential powers. Now the results are here for everyone to see. IPC will vigorously continue with the struggle for electoral reforms. There cannot be genuine democracy unless term limits are restored, the powers of the president moderated and an independent Electoral Commission is constituted. These are critical for the future of democracy in Uganda. We call upon all Ugandans, especially organised civil society groups, to campaign aggressively for social. Political and economic reforms.

1. We call upon all Ugandans; students, youth, traders, importers, exporters, farmers, teachers, medical workers, drivers, artisans, factory workers, civil servants in general, those employed in the informal sector, employers, tenants -  all – to dedicate this year of Uganda’s 50^th anniversary to organise themselves and demand for their rights, and insist on accountability from the NRM government which has made it its business to steal public funds, lie, hoodwink, threaten, bribe, and to brutalise peaceful demonstrators. We shall stand by anyone who seeks redress and unjust treatment by this corrupt government. We will announce the schedule and nature of our own activities in due course.

FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY

On behalf of:

Hon. John Ken Lukyamuzi, President General, Conservative Party, CP

Col. (Rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye, President, Forum for Democratic Change, FDC

Hon. Mike Mabikke, President, Social Democratic Party, SDP

Owek. Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere, Patron, Ssuubi

Signed:

Asuman  Basalirwa, President, Justice Forum, JEEMA                                                         CHAIRMAN IPC