Whereas his consultation meetings are being condemned by his party as irregular, former FDC president Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu has likened President Yoweri Museveni to former Presidents Idi Amin Dada and Milton Obote.
In a tweet on the side lines of his first consultation exercise, Muntu lashed out at Museveni for attacking the two former leaders for their past actions while they served as president yet he is not any different.
“Museveni criticised Obote and Amin and over time did what they did,” he said adding “That is why those of us who desire real change must build a new culture of politics in this country with institutions that check leaders,”
Gen. Mugisha held his first consultations were held Sunday in Hoima. He says the main reason he insisted on going ahead with his consultations is because this is the best timing for Uganda to achieve what other generations of Uganda have not.
“My belief has always been that we should resist the temptation of being obsessed with regime change in and of itself. Museveni’s departure is a given, whether he likes it or not. But if we don’t prepare for a post-Museveni era, we may find ourselves in the same position we are trying to escape from,
“Where the country is dependent on the charity of individuals rather than the functioning of institutions. Galvanising the country around protests, civil disobedience and boycotts is an effective tool of weakening regimes – can also bring down dictatorships like we have witnessed in a number of countries worldwide,” his statement at the consultation meeting reads in part.
It further reads, “But if we don’t have people across the nation to provide an alternative kind of leadership, all we will achieve will be a mere change of guards if not outright anarchy like we have witnessed in a number of African and Arab countries. The question for us as a country therefore is this; how do we change our politics to reflect the democratic ideas we aspire to achieve?”
Last week by FDC Secretary General Nandala Mafabi ordering all FDC District Chairpersons and Secretary Generals that any activities in their areas must have been sanctioned by the party’s National Executive Committee.
“This is to inform your office that anyone from headquarters or anywhere who intends to carry out any activity in your district in the name of the party should demonstrate that the activity was discussed and passed by the FDC National Executive Committee,” reads a directive from Mafabi dated January 10.
However, defending his meetings, Gen Muntu insists they are not about him or any single individual.
“They are about how to best put the country before self. How do we get our young people to realise that they are not merely spectators but stakeholders in our politics? How do we get our women to reject lip service being paid to gender-based injustice and insist on holding their leaders accountable?
“What is the best way to get our small but influential working class to realise that unless we sort out the unemployment crisis affecting their brothers and sisters, even the few jobs they have will quickly disappear?” he asked.
He further added that a full consultation program had been drawn and police had been informed about the same, while the public will soon be informed about the program that he intends to carry out all over the country.
