By Timothy Nsubuga

6^th Dec 2010

File Photo, Dr. Kizza Besigye at a rally in Kasese

The IPC’s presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye has strongly warned President Yoweri Museveni against imitating the defeated Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo by refusing to hand over power when he loses the 2011 elections.

The Background:

A serious political crisis broke out in Ivory Coast last week when the ‘Constitutional Council’ overruled a declaration by the country’s Independent Electoral Commission which had handed victory in the presidential race to opposition leader Mr. Alassane Ouattara.

The ‘Constitutional Council’ then cancelled opposition leader Alassane Ouattara’s victory after it declared election results from Mr. Ouattara’s northern stronghold null and void.  Thereafter, both the “defeated” incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and the “victorious” opposition leader Alassane Ouattara claimed victory and organised separate swearing-in ceremonies.

Dr. Kizza Besigye’s Response:

Soon after the political crisis in Ivory Coast broke out, Uganda Correspondent sought Dr. Besigye’s views and asked him whether he was worried that President Museveni might be tempted to imitate Laurent Gbagbo and refuse to hand over power to whoever wins the 2011 elections.

In his response, Dr. Kizza Besigye said as IPC, history has taught them to never rule President Museveni out of such dishonourable behaviour because the signs are there that he can do it.

“…we have taken note of his threat not to hand over power when he loses this election.  So we know the intention is definitely there.  But our strong, clear, and unequivocal message to President Museveni is also a very simple one:  Do not try to subvert the will of the people because the consequences will be dire; both for him and for our country”, Besigye warned.

Asked what exactly he would do if President Museveni followed the obnoxious precedent set by his counterparts in Zimbabwe, Kenya, and now Ivory Coast, Dr. Besigye said the question should not be about what he [Besigye] would do, but what the people of Uganda whose votes will have been stolen will do.

“…take Besigye out of the picture.  I am only one individual.  But think about the gravity of the injustice that will have been meted out to millions of Ugandans by Museveni’s refusal to respect their collective rejection of his presidency.  It is what these millions of Ugandans could and might do that should convince President Museveni to abandon his plan to hang on to power at all costs”, Dr. Besigye said.

When asked whether he would play any active role in what he says the “millions of Ugandans could and might do”, Dr. Besigye said as FDC party President, and the IPC’s presidential flag bearer in this election, he is already playing an active role.

“…unlike in the 2006 election when I participated as Museveni’s chained prisoner, this time it’s different.  I am already playing an active role and the response we are getting across the country is tremendous; overwhelming in fact.  As IPC, we know almost beyond doubt that there will be massive rigging with the help of the Electoral Commission.  Our legitimate role is therefore to expose that rigging”, Besigye pointed out.

Asked how, and to whom he intends to expose the rigging, Dr. Besigye said as democrats, they in the IPC are accountable to the people of Uganda who have placed their trust in them, and to a lesser extent, to friends of Uganda who support IPC’s cause.

“…we have learnt a lot from the injustices we suffered both during the elections and in the Supreme Court in the last two elections.  So over the last five years, our main task has been to build the capacity that we now have.  I can assure you we are now going to use that capacity to expose the rigging to the people of Uganda who have placed their trust in us”, Besigye stressed.

Would he go back and petition the Supreme Court if he concludes that the 2011 elections have been rigged to favour President Museveni?  “…Going back to the Supreme Court is not something we are thinking about now”, Besigye shot back without blinking.

On the question of his chances of winning this presidential race, Dr. Besigye said that “…if Uganda was a free and democratic society without the NRM rigging machinery, I would have confidently predicted electoral victory because of the overwhelming support that we are getting across the country.  Even then, I can assure you that change is coming to Uganda this time round.  Let there be no doubt about that”.

The Ruling NRM Party’s Response:

Mr. Ofwono Opondo, the Spokesman for President Museveni’s ‘2011 Election Task Force’, has in the past dismissed any suggestions that the NRM intends to rig the 2011 elections.  “…Besigye will be defeated in the open”, Mr. Ofwono Opondo told Uganda Correspondent.  END. Please log into www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.