By Our Staff Writer

4^th Oct 2010

Dr. Besigye addresing Ugandans in Manchester on Sat. 2nd Oct

FDC party President Dr. Kizza Besigye, who is also the IPC’s flag bearer for the 2011 general elections, has declared that without the reforms of the electoral process that the opposition is calling for, the IPC will announce its own results for the 2011 general elections.

In a powerful speech punctuated with anti-Museveni humour that lasted just under an hour in Manchester-United Kingdom, Dr. Besigye said, “…our results will be relayed electronically to our tallying centre.  Unless the Electoral Commission [EC] is reformed and all other legal and administrative instruments amended to foster fairness in the electoral process, we could announce the final result before the EC if we are organised”.  The present EC, Dr. Besigye said was declared impartial and incompetent by the Supreme Court of Uganda.  “…Today, the same EC has already undermined the 2011 elections because according to it, half of Uganda’s 30million population are now registered voters.  That is quite simply impossible”, said Besigye.

Dr. Besigye said that as IPC, they have through demonstrations been resolute in rejecting both the EC and its fraudulent electoral register but it’s still there.  The challenge he said, was in “…how to respond to that dangerous situation”.

He also warned that if there were to be another election theft in 2011, then “…people will take things in their own hands.  It’s not a desirable outcome.  We the people of Uganda and the government in particular must do everything to avoid it.  I am simply sending a warning that things are likely to get out of hand if elections are stolen again”, Dr. Besigye said.

Dr. Besigye further added that all the opposition has been asking for is for the EC to be a little bit professional and impartial and Museveni will be defeated.  “All we require is for the electoral process to improve.  Our task is to control the cheating a little bit and Museveni will be history”, the IPC leader confidently declared amid thunderous applause.

He also said Ugandans must be prepared to pay for the change they want.  “…the cost of violence is very expensive.  Our people must pay for the change they want themselves.  It is only after that that they will fight hard to protect it”, Besigye counselled.

Hot on the heels of that advice, Dr. Besigye also warned Ugandans that if they don’t make sacrifices collectively as a people now to change the prevailing situation in Uganda, then we should all brace ourselves for tougher times ahead.

“If we don’t change the situation now, then we should all brace ourselves for tougher times ahead especially if the oil starts to flow under the current dictatorship.  Thereafter, it will be much harder to organise and remove this bankrupt regime democratically because it will become even more oppressive.  We must therefore do whatever we can to get rid of the dictatorship now”, Dr. Besigye argued.

On the issue of the widespread corruption in Uganda today, Dr. Besigye said corruption will only be reversed if there is sufficient political will to do so and when every public officer knows that they are being watched by the people.  Ugandans, Besigye said, “…must take ownership of their government and one way of doing that is by holding public officials to strictly account for all their actions”.

Next week, Uganda Correspondent will bring you more from Dr. Besigye’s Manchester speech.  END.  If it’s Monday, it’s Uganda Correspondent.  Never miss out again!