UGANDA: Does charge of failing TDA still stand against Dr. Besigye?

DOES THE CHARGE OF FAILING TDA STILL STAND AGAINST DR. BESIGYE?

"I am NRM so there is no need to return the card. Who do I return it to yet I am the one who has been writing NRM manifestos for these 28 years, eimwe bantumwe! (you people!) I return the card to these people who found me in my party! NRM is here I am NRM. There is no other member in the party who knows NRM than me,”

Amama Mbabazi during campaigns in January 2016.

In 2014 Museveni sacked his long time close political ally who also doubled as his Secretary General and Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi.

In March 2014 Dr. Besigye reacted to Mbabazi's sacking through a long missive thus;

"Mbabazi had clearly established a source of legitimacy outside Mr Museveni’s direct control. This is where Mr Mbabazi crossed the danger line! From this point onwards, Mr Museveni set out to ensure that Mbabazi, somehow, relinquishes the office of NRM Secretary General. He also set out to curtail his power of patronage. This was/is not an easy task because Mbabazi had become privy to many of the “schemes” at the heart of the patrimonial regime. The process is clearly underway; he should only pray that he won't expire with it!

Have the Mbabazi’s been helping build a neo-fascist party?
As they ponder these questions, I once again invite the Mr and Mrs Mbabazi and all those in the “NRM” who may be unknowingly serving and propping up a dangerous monster to withdraw and link up with freedom and democracy-seeking organisations and formations to liberate Uganda.
FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY.
Kizza-Besigye.
POLITICAL ACTIVIST."

In October 2014 Museveni disclosed to his regime's Central Executive Committee as to why he had sacked Mbabazi. He said;
“There were a lot of complaints about Mbabazi’s [political] mobilisation, and [him] meeting different NRM district leaders at his home in Kololo,” Museveni reportedly told the meeting.
“I had to move in and stop the confusion,”

In June 2015 Amama Mbabazi publicly declared his intentions to contest for the presidency against Museveni. He formed his pressure group, Go Forward and sought to represent an opposition alliance under the Transitional Democratic Alliance (TDA). The two main candidates for the alliance’s leadership were Dr. Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Uganda’s main opposition party, and former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi of the Go Forward Team. However, TDA collapsed without coming up with a single opposition candidate.

Mao Nobert, president of the opposition Democratic Party and a supporter of Mbabazi’s candidacy, said the alliance could not reach a consensus because Besigye has not conceded even though 7 out of the 9 entities that made up the alliance supported Mbabazi as the consensus candidate. On the other hand, Besigye’s supporters believed he should have been the alliance’s candidate because he had the most popular appeal in the country.

Nobert Mao further said that;
“We have not been able to reach a consensus because for us those who dissent declare that they will live with the majority position. In fact out of the 9 entities in the TDA, you can say 7 have chosen to support Honorable Amama Mbabazi,”

Nobert Mao went ahead to say that he had expected the alliance would have continued with or without Besigye and his supporters. At the same time, he suspected Besigye and his supporters were to begin putting in place their own strategy for the 2016 election while Mbabazi's team was also doing the same.
“We will discuss whether we can agree on how to cooperate, but the truth is we have reached a fork in the road and each group has chosen a different path. We hope the destination is the same because the goal of the alliance is to unite the democratic forces and win in 2016,” Nobert said.

Nobert Mao concluded thus;
"The most likely challenger who can defeat President Museveni is Mbabazi. First and foremost I think being a newcomer to the opposition he (Mbabazi) brings the most recent information about Museveni, the man, the machine and the mindset. Secondly, I do believe sincerely that the public respect novelty. In every society the people respect something new, they gravitate around it, especially when the old has not made a lot of traction.
“Opinion polls have been more in favor of Mbabazi. So, Col. Besigye can talk about change, but I think Honorable Mbabazi can cause that change."

He added thus;
“Obviously Mr. Museveni is also capable of fishing in troubled waters. So he’s definitely undermining the opposition unity through negative propaganda and pressure on some vulnerable members of our team. We should not give him the opportunity, and the answer to that is unity. We have to unite. We cannot afford to be united.

The following week, the leadership of The Democratic Alliance (TDA) summoned its summit for a crisis meeting to deal with the uncoordinated events that had unfolded since the previous week when they failed to reach consensus on a joint presidential candidate.
The meeting discussed the possibility of a ceasefire between Amama Mbabazi camp and Kizza Besigye’s camp. TDA collapsed and Amama Mbabazi with mainly the backing of the Nobert Mao faction of the DP ran as quasi TDA candidate.

During the Capital Gang radio talkshow in September 2016, Dr Kizza Besigye disclosed that the former Premier’s fallout with President Museveni was not based on the need to tackle issues of good governance and accountability but a mere quarrel.
“I asked Hon Mbabazi a straightforward question during our meetings. Hon Mao is here. I asked him ‘what was the cause of your fallout with Mr Museveni?’” He further disclosed that he was shocked by Mbabazi’s response.
“Mbabazi told me that he fell out with Museveni because he (President) was undermining and fighting him, telling lies and refusing to quit presidency in 2006 as earlier promised."

According to Besigye, Mbabazi said Museveni had promised to leave power but only to turn around and contest in the 2006 elections. Besigye said Mbabazi did not at any one time mention any of the vital issues related with the struggle for accountability and good governance; the need to check high levels of poverty and empowering people to determine their own destiny.
Dr. Besigye concluded by saying that he could not “take the risk” of allowing him to carry the flag of TDA which is fighting for freedom, respect of human rights and equitable distribution of resources.
He dismissed the existence of any contradiction of Mbabazi’s entrance into TDA but that, “The only contradiction is the flagship…that you are leading the struggle, that you are the face. Everybody must be scrutinised. I have been scrutinised. Leaders must be scrutinised.”

FDC spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda made brief remarks during the same talk show, condemning what he described as Mbabazi’s “dishonesty”.
He observed: “I didn’t expect Mbabazi to accept nomination as TDA candidate when he knew it had collapsed. This kind of dishonesty drives me crazy.” However, Betti Kamya seconded Mbabazi’s candidature saying, "he appears to have the gravitas needed to overcome the obstacles of turning popularity into real victory. Besigye has on several occasions tried to win presidency in vain and that someone better should be supported." Besigye fired back, saying challenging what he called a ‘dictatorship’ was not a picnic.
“Those who tried to contest for presidency understand how unpleasant it is."

In a twist of events, Besigye was backed by NRM’s Ofwono Opondo who argued that the FDC candidate is in the 2016 presidential race for serious business.
“Besigye is right to ask Mbabazi: ‘what is your position on corruption; judicial systems…...we must deal with quislings in politics. What is Mbabazi taking to TDA? Is it electoral strength?"
Opondo concluded by saying that Mbabazi has a tainted record of electoral violence, citing a scenario where a man lost an eye at the hands of the brutality of Mbabazi’s agents in the Kinkiizi West elections.
“This should be an issue for those fronting him." He also challenged Mao to tell the country what he is bringing on the table considering the miserable performance of DP in previous elections.

In his conclusive remarks, Besigye blasted the Ugandan elite for spending time criticising what he calls a ‘struggle’, saying they should as well offer themselves to make Uganda a better place.
Besigye described as “insulting” the elite’s claims that he is power hungry, adding, he could live anywhere on earth in comfort if he chose to do so. He said standing several times against an incumbent should not be compared with someone clinging onto power for almost 30 years.

Around January 2016 during a campaign rally at Nyakasharu playground in Rubizi Town Council, independent presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi vowed never to hand over his party card saying he is the one who represents the ideals of the NRM revolution.
While addressing rallies in Rubirizi and Buhweju districts at the weekend, Mr Mbabazi, claimed it was the NRM presidential candidate who had digressed from what the party fought for and represents.
“I am still a member of NRM who fought for the good cause of liberating the country but President Museveni has digressed from the real causes of the struggle. That is why I am running for president. I am NRM who wants change.

While responding to some people in the audience who had asked him to surrender the NRM party card since he is out, he said;
“I am NRM so there is no need to return the card. Who do I return it to yet I am the one who has been writing NRM manifestos for these 28 years, eimwe bantumwe! (you people!) I return the card to these people who found me in my party! NRM is here I am NRM. There is no other member in the party who knows NRM than me,”

The "NRM Independent" candidate, Amama Mbabazi went ahead with the campaigns and at the end of the polls he came third.

2016 Presidential Election results;
1. Museveni - 5,971,872
2. Besigye - 3,508,687
3. Mbabazi - 136,519
4. Bwanika - 89,005
5. Baryamureeba - 52,798
6. Kyalya - 42,833
7. Biraaro. - 25,600
8. Mabirizi - 24,498

Invalid/blank votes 477,319
Total 10,329,131
Registered voters/turnout 15,277,198

He went to court to challenge the results and here below is the summary of the court verdict:
Amama Mbabazi v Museveni & Ors ( PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PETITION NO . O1 OF 2016 ) [ 2016 ] UGSC 3 ( 31 March 2016 );.................
THE DECISION OF THE COURT
Having made due inquiry into the petition and on the basis of our findings set out in the judgment:
1) We hereby declare that the 1st respondent was validly elected as President in accordance with Article 104 of the Constitution and
section 59 of the Presidential Elections Act .
2) Accordingly, this petition is dismissed.

Consequently, the court decision legitimized Museveni's election and he was sworn in as president. It is now coming to three years and Mbabazi had kept his silence until just recently when he publicly asked Museveni if he had voted for him during the 2016 presidential elections. The big question is; IS THE ACCUSATION AGAINST DR. BESIGYE FAILING MBABAZI'S CANDIDATURE UNDER TDA STILL VALID???

INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUSEVENISM