Political party leaders emphasize unity at Opposition retreat

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A section of Opposition political party leaders have tasked their legislators in Parliament to embrace unity. They say that this will enable them to achieve their common goal of changing the leadership of the country.

The call was made by Gen. Mugisha Muntu, the President of the Alliance for National Transformation-ANT, National Unity Platform-NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, JEEMA Secretary-General Muhammad Kateregga, and People’s Progressive Party-PP Secretary-General David Alira among others.

They were speaking during the opening of a three-day retreat organized to orient Opposition MPs on how to conduct business in Parliament. The retreat commenced yesterday at Imperial Botanical Hotel in Entebbe.

In his address to the MPs carried through a video recording, Kyagulanyi who is currently in Brussels, Belgium, applauded the MPs for exhibiting courage in the previous sittings of Parliament as forces of change against human rights abuses in the country.

“I want to thank you for the spirit of unity that you have shown and I want to encourage you to continue. Comrades, we are all prisoners and we must not deceive ourselves that we can even progress if we don’t come together,” said Kyagulanyi.

The former presidential candidate told the Opposition MPs that every step they take towards unity is a step in the right direction and that it motivates their supporters to fight on. He added that the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM party would rather see the Opposition divided, fighting amongst themselves and in disarray so that their rule continues.

Kyagulanyi told the MPs not to relax and continue exerting pressure on the ruling government to provide services for the people and also ensure change.

Gen. Mugisha Muntu said that it is their responsibility to come together and organize a strong political force that can lead the country.

Muntu, who also participated in the previous presidential election asked MPs to continue taking the lead on the floor of parliament as a unified force so that they achieve a common goal.

Mawokota North MP Hilary Kiyaga noted that they have a challenge within the Opposition where the senior leaders do not seem to move in tandem with the leadership in parliament.

Buhweju County MP, Francis Mwijukye also cited a gap between the Opposition leader in Parliament and the political party leaders saying that this poses a challenge for them to move as one bloc.

However, the former Leader of Opposition-LOP Winnie Kizza observed a need for all senior members in political parties to acknowledge the race for a leader in parliament is long over and Mathias Mpuuga was chosen as the choice of the majority opposition party in Parliament.

She said that the current leader is capable of leading the Opposition in Parliament and needs all the support for him to succeed. Kizza also advised Mpuuga not to feel so big in his seat and reach out to everybody in consultation and for the good of the office.

Forum for Democratic Change-FDC party president Patrick Amuriat did not show up for the retreat and no representative from the party attended the meeting. However, other parties like Uganda People’s Congress-UPC and the Democratic Party-DP sent representatives for their presidents. But Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of Opposition said that other than FDC, all other Opposition political parties delegated representatives.

He also added that the retreat was mainly meant for the Opposition legislators and not the party heads. Mpuuga also said that it is their desire that the retreat will bring together the opposition parties closer and work as one front.

The Opposition retreat continues on Saturday and the legislators are scheduled to be addressed by former legislator and Public Accounts Committee –Central Government Chairperson, Alice Alaso on becoming a respected legislator, raising the profile of opposition in parliament. They are also to be oriented towards evidence-based debates and decisions.

Out of the 529 members in the 11th Parliament, the Opposition has a total of 109 legislators. NUP has the biggest number of MPs totalling 57, followed by FDC which has 32, DP 9, UPC 9, JEEMA 1 and PPP 1.

*****

URN