Police lock Besigye out of Masaka meeting
Dr Kiiza Besigye. File Photo
By Malik Fahad Jjingo, Gertrude Mutyaba & Issa Aliga
Posted Friday, October 24 2014 at 01:00
Posted Friday, October 24 2014 at 01:00
In Summary
Dr Besigye, who had not been invited for the meeting said he has a right to attend as a citizen.
KAMPALA:
Police have blocked former Forum For Democratic Change president, Dr Kiiza Besigye, from attending an electoral reforms meeting organised by NGO Forum in Masaka.
KAMPALA:
Police have blocked former Forum For Democratic Change president, Dr Kiiza Besigye, from attending an electoral reforms meeting organised by NGO Forum in Masaka.
Police officers in uniforms and plain clothes
condoned off Hotel Brovad in Masaka Town and ordered Dr Besigye out of
the meeting which had convened to collect views of local leaders,
politicians, religious leaders and members of the community in Buganda
sub-region held on Thursday on electoral reforms.
Organisers said, Dr Besigye had not been
officially invited but as a citizen he had a right to attend the meeting
and give his input as one of the leaders pushing for the reforms.
Ms Evelyn Bukirwa, the chairperson of the
organising committee, said the meeting targeted every citizen and could
not lock out Dr Besigye although he had not been invited.
“I needed his opinion as a Ugandan on how we can
push for reform in the country and all people have a right to have their
input in the move to have a free and fair election in Uganda” Ms
Bukirwa said.
Masaka NGO Forum coordinator, Mr Mwanje Lubowa,
said they had received a directive from security agencies not to invite
Dr Besigye.
However, Dr Besigye told journalists he had not
been invited for the Buganda sub-region workshop but as a citizen he had
a right to participate in the meeting.
Masaka RDC, Mr Linos Ngopek, said he was surprised
to get information that Dr Besigye had come for the meeting yet they
had agreed with organisers not to invite him.
Masaka deputy regional police commander, Mr Edward
Mugweri, defended their action, saying members had told them they were
uncomfortable with Dr Besigye’s presence.
All the LC-V chairpersons and their
councillors in the seven districts were invited regardless of their
political affiliations but most of them were represented apart from
Emmanuel Musoke the LC-V chairperson for Kalungu district who also quit
for other special duties shortly after Besigye had left.
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Hotel
Brovad in Masaka municipality was the scene of some political drama
yesterday, as security blocked an opposition politician from attending a
civil society workshop.
FDC’s Kizza Besigye kicked out of Masaka NGOs workshop
Friday, 24 October 2014 01:35
Besigye (R) talking to Masaka Mayor, Kayemba Afaayo after being kicked out
Former FDC President Kizza Besigye
arrived quite early to attend the national NGO forum workshop for South
Buganda regional leaders at the hotel.
But he didn’t last 10 minutes. Godfrey
Mwanje, the chairperson of Masaka NGO Forum, approached Besigye in the
conference room and requested him to leave the venue. He said if Besigye
stayed, the workshop would be shut down by security.
A calm Besigye stood up and, in the
company of Masaka Mayor Godfrey Kayemba Afaayo, left the conference room
and the hotel before the workshop officially started. The workshop was
attended by leaders of local council IIIs to Vs from the central
districts of Masaka, Rakai, Kalangala, Sembabule, Bukomansimbi, Kalungu
and Lwengo.
Also invited were officials from the
Electoral Commission in those districts and police. In an interview
moments before he left Hotel Brovad, Besigye said since he was one of
the organizers of similar workshops at the national level, he did not
have to be invited to attend the one in Masaka.
The two-day workshop, which started on
Thursday morning, was meant to discuss, among other issues, electoral
reforms as the country gears up for the 2016 general elections.
According to Besigye, he left without a fight because he did not want
the workshop to be stopped.
Mwanje, who invited Besigye to leave,
said he met with the Masaka RDCs and the district police commander on
Wednesday and discussed who would attend the workshop.
“In that meeting, we agreed that Besigye should not attend the workshop or else it would be blocked totally,” Mwanje said.
He commended Besigye for agreeing to
leave. Masaka deputy Regional Police Commander Edward Mugwere said
Besigye had not been invited to the workshop.
“Our role as police is to keep law and
order. If Besigye was not invited for this workshop, there was no need
as to why he would come. We, therefore, had to respond to the
organizers’ plea that he leaves forthwith,” Mugwere said.
After Besigye’s exit, the workshop
continued without any other hindrance, although a number of members from
the opposition remained upset.
“This country is not for President
Museveni, Kale Kayihura or the NRM government; and so, they should not
drive us the way they need,” said Salongo Senzoga, the secretary for FDC
Masaka district.
