The organisers of the two presidential debates have taken on another task; they are making preparations to hold the National Dialogue, to bring together political players in Uganda to talk peace following an election now turned contentious.
Under a group known as the ‘peace and reconciliation’ committee, the Inter-Religious Council-Uganda (IRCU) and The Elders Forum Uganda (TEFU) led by retired justice James Ogoola Munange, have teamed up with members of the Women Situation Room (WSR), a group of eminent women, to draw a framework for the dialogue.
The development comes in the wake of continued edginess following the release of the presidential elections results, in which the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Yoweri Museveni was declared winner by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on February 20.
Since then his main challenger Col (rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has rejected the results, while another aspirant, John Patrick Amama Mbabazi, has since petitioned the Supreme Court, seeking to have the election annulled on allegations of rigging.
Currently, Dr Besigye’s movements have been restricted, and his efforts to seek reprieve from the court in Kasangati through his lawyer Fred Mpanga have hit a snag after the presiding magistrate Prossy Katushabe today found his court file missing.
But Ms Katushabe had yesterday ruled that the police were unlawfully deployed at Dr Besigye’s home, and that he was right to sue both the Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura and area police commander.
