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Museveni, Besigye Tussle It Out On Kfm

The Monitor (Kampala)
NEWS
October 22, 2004
Posted to the web October 22, 2004

By Grace Matsiko & Alex B. Atuhaire
Kampala
President tells Col to renounce rebellion
93.3 K FM's Andrew Mwenda hosted His Excellency the President of Uganda in a 2-
hour Interview yesterday.
Some of the callers included:
Retired Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye called from South Africa
Former Army Commander and Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) promoter, Maj. Gen.
Mugisha Muntu
Lira Municipality MP, Ms Cecilia Ogwal
President Yoweri Museveni yesterday told former presidential candidate, Col.
Dr. Kizza Besigye to denounce his supporters who want to destabilise Uganda.
Museveni said the government was monitoring Besigye's activities including, his
alleged rebel group operating in DR Congo and could easily ask for his
extradition if there was evidence that he was involved in subversive
activities.
"If there is a case against Col. Besigye, he has to go through courts, but if
we find he is involved in subversive activities, we can ask for his
extradition, where he is. South Africa is not heaven," Mr. Museveni said during
the Andrew Mwenda Live show on 93.3KFM at The Monitor head office at Namuwongo
last night.
Besigye called in from South Africa and asked why the President had blocked him
from talking to Ugandans through local FM stations and wondered whether he was
considered Uganda's enemy or a terrorist.
"Being in South Africa does not guarantee you from extradition," Museveni told
Besigye, in their first aired public interaction since 2001 presidential
elections.
Mr Museveni said Besigye's supporters have been involved in terrorist
activities against Ugandans but the army had stopped them.
"What Col. Besigye should do is to denounce those people that yes they were my
supporters but they went [to rebel groups] without my knowledge," Museveni
said. He said Besigye's aide, James Opoka joined Joseph Kony's rebel group and
killed people until the rebels butchered him. Besigye, who first recognised
Museveni's efforts to develop a stronger Uganda, accused him of diverting from
the NRM's 10-point programme and of having 'election thieves' in his cabinet.
He said security agents pushed him to exile.
But Museveni said that Besigye is not the only opposition leader and
presidential candidate to have participated in the elections and remained in
the country.
This is the first time President Museveni is visiting a newspaper since coming
to power in 1986.
Former Army Commander and Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) promoter, Maj. Gen.
Mugisha Muntu called in asking if the government was committed to opening up
political space and of holding free and fair elections. The FDC has tried
unsuccessfully to register as a political party.
But Museveni replied, "Yes the government is obviously committed. Maj. Gen.
Muntu you were there in Kyankwanzi when I stood up and said we open political
space. Many delegates did not want that until we convinced them".
After consultations on why there was need to pay money to register a political
party, Museveni said, for some one who has been in government for many years
like Muntu should not have been surprised about the operations of government
vis a vis the allocation of resources.
Lira Municipality MP, Ms Cecilia Ogwal, asked the President why he transformed
part of the executive into the leadership of the NRMO.
"If the dog is to die it first loses its sense of smell. Fortunately for the
Movement it is the dog, which has a sense of smell. I can't transform the
executive into the leadership of a political party," Museveni said. He said
many Movement people belong to the NRMO, which they registered recently.
On claims that the President had abandoned the broad based system he introduced
in 1986, Museveni said, he gave up the idea after finding that some politicians
were not supporting even the minimum programmes of the government.

   

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