Opposition parties back Museveni

ELECTION WATCH | NRM | OPPOSITION PARTIES 

Six opposition political parties have indicated that they will back President Yoweri Museveni the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate in his re-election bid.

Under the "six friendly political parties" alliance, the leaders told journalists in Kampala that the decision to back the NRM candidate was not for selfish financial gains as they may be perceived, but to ensure their own growth.

The political parties are; the Liberal Democratic Transparency (LDT), Revolutionary People's Party (RPP), People's United Movement (PUM), National Peasants' Party (NPP), Green Partisan Party (GPP) and Society for Peace and Development (SDP).

The little known parties are fully registered with the Electoral Commission (EC) under the Political Parties and Organizations Act (PPOA) 2005.

Sometime back, the EC threatened to de-register several parties on allegations of inactivity.

However, the principals of the parties said living under the shadow of big and established parties has not undermined their participation in the issues of national importance such as advocating for environmental protection and supporting farmers' progress in rural areas.

The group coordinator and the secretary general of LDT, Zaid Mukasa Wasswa, said through their activities, they have established structures from grassroot to the national level which they will use to mobilize support for Museveni.

"We may look small but NRM knows what we are going to do," he said.

The decision to back Museveni, Mukasa said was made some time back in December last year at a meeting of all allied group members.

"It was unanimously agreed to rally the group's support behind Museveni in the Presidential bid in the 2021 general elections through the allied group's grassroots' structures across the country especially to put emphasis in those areas where the candidate has got little support," he said.

He however, clarified that the parties were not dissolving into the NRM but they will continue to work as independent political entities.

The PPOA 2005 as a mended Section 18 (a) provides that where two or more registered political parties or organizations form an alliance of their parties or organizations, each party or organization shall remain as a separate registered party or organization for the purpose of the Act.

Mukasa added that for the purposes of peace, order, unity and stability, good governance and development, they found no harm in rallying their support to a leader of another party in a manner acceptable and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.

"We thought on all the other contenders and sheaved them before we decided to support Museveni," he said.

The strategic plan of the group in the period 2021-2026, Mukasa said is to strengthen member parties in a manner that would enable them compete favorably in 2026 on all elective positions while taking advantage of the prevailing peace ushered in by the current leadership.

Segujja Wamala, the leader of NPP said that they were backing Museveni because he has programmes to transform peasant farmers.

"Uganda is for all of us. We want a united Uganda which is moving forward and peaceful," he said.

The NRM director for mobilization, Mathias Kasamba, who was represented by, Kigundu Kabandwa from the NRM secretariat welcomed the group saying that NRM was an all embracing party.

"We shall move together.  Let us work together and win," he said. 

He said that today NRM government has a number of opposition figures serving in different capacities because President Museveni is not only an embracing leader, but is exceptionally strong and good.

"We will not allow our country to go into the hands of someone whom we well know cannot manage it," he said.