LOVE JUSTICE FREEDOM PEACE DEMOCRACYHUMAN RIGHTS


UPC
Is.26:17

UGANDA PEOPLE'S CONGRESS LAUNCHES NOC.


UGANDA PEOPLES CONGRESS
(Office of the President)
STATEMENT
BY
A. MILTON OBOTE
PRESIDENT
UGANDA PEOPLES CONGRESS (UPC)
ON THE OCCASION OF:
THE LAUNCH OF THE
NATIONAL ORGANISING COMMITTEE (NOC).

Fellow citizens and friends of Uganda, permit me to address
guests and UPC members who are citizens with the dear words of
fellow citizens because this is a happy occasion and I cannot
therefore address them as the population which the rulers of
Uganda have been using since 1986.
SOUNDS:
*Uganda Peoples Congress*
1. Fellow citizens and friends of Uganda, this is a
ceremony and a celebration to mark the first political victory
over the dictatorship of the National Resistance Army (NRA)
and its political Party the National Resistance Movement
(NRM).

2. A clear proof that Uganda has been and is a dictatorship
is provided in Article 269 of the 1995 Constitution. Uganda's
political Parties have been removed from politics and from
public elections so as to leave only the NRA and its Party in
politics and in public elections.

3. The first prohibition and debarment against political
Parties in Article 269 of the Constitution is that none of
them should have a functioning Branch anywhere in Uganda. That
provision in the Constitution was lifted and provided in
Sections 18 and 19 of the Political Parties and Organisations
Act (POA) 2002.

4. Sections 18 and 19 of POA 2002 are severely attacked in
the Petition filed by the UPC, other sister Parties and
concerned citizens in the Constitutional Court. The Court has
not yet heard and disposed of the Petition.

5. The Court has however, heard and disposed of the
Petition filed by the sister Party the Democratic Party which
also attacked Sections 18 and 19 of POA 2002. The verdict of
the Court was that the two Sections are unconstitutional.
*Uganda Peoples Congress*






6. While waiting for our Petition to be heard and disposed
of by the Court, I as President of the UPC who has been frozen
in that position by Article 269 of the Constitution, publicly
extend on behalf of my Party our congratulations to my brother
Paul Ssemogerere the President of the DP and to members of the
DP and its lawyers for the victory in Court.

7. Ever since the dictatorship was imposed on Uganda in
January 1986, all the opposition Parties have maintained peace
in a situation where the rulers have abandoned the Rule of
Law.

8. Today, even with the Court victory of the Democratic
Party the dictatorship has not allowed the opposition Parties
to reactivate or revive the Branches of their respective
Parties. The silly excuse is that the Parties have not
registered as provided in the Constitution and in POA 2002.

9. It is a silly excuse precisely because on an Application
by the UPC, the Constitutional Court has ruled that all
registrations be postponed until it has heard and disposed of
all Petitions against POA 2002 and as I have stated the Court
has yet to hear and dispose of the UPC Petition.

10. Fellow citizens and friends of Uganda, today is a very
happy day. With the Law as defined by the Constitutional Court
being on the side of the political Parties as victims of the
NRM dictatorship, the UPC has appointed this day as the
beginning to send to all corners of Uganda 15 Nationalists who
are all members of the UPC on a mission to return Uganda and
her people to the noble ideals of the country's Independence
Legacy as it existed before the force majeure imposed by the
NRA.

*Uganda Peoples Congress*
11. The genesis of Uganda's current system of governance
which the UPC regards as dictatorship is the Proclamation
issued on 26 January 1986 by the Terrorist National Resistance
Army (NRA) and its political Party the National Resistance
Movement (NRM).

12. The Proclamation asserted with the backing of the guns
of the NRA that the NRA had taken over the powers of the
people of Uganda (Government of Uganda) and vested those
powers in a committee of the NRM. It is the beginning of the
campaigns to return to the people their powers that this
ceremony is celebrating.

13. Legal Notice No. 1 of 1986 made the Proclamation of the
NRA to be the Constitution of Uganda and the parameters of
which were provided in Articles of the 1995 Constitution.
Today, this ceremony celebrates the beginnings of a conscious
mission for Uganda's politics and public elections to have
more than one political Party.

14. The repressive military dictatorship of the NRM and
other people may deride today's ceremony and celebration but
the UPC is openly repeating history today. In 1952 without
public announcement or ceremony, the Gracious and Noble Uganda
National Congress (UNC) the father of the UPC sounded the
drums of the Independence of Uganda.

15. Today, at this ceremony and celebration, the UPC is
openly giving Notice to the NRM dictatorship that Uganda's
political Parties shall each have active Branches
participating in Uganda's politics and public elections. The
messengers for that eventuality are the 15 UPC nationalist
members of the National Organising Committee of the UPC. Like
the founders of the father of their Party, the 15 Nationalists
today embark on the second Liberation of Uganda.
*Uganda Peoples Congress*
16. The 15 Nationalist UPC members shall go to all corners
of Uganda with a vast proud records of the UNC and of the UPC.

17. In March 1952 the UNC said: Let there be Self-Government
Now; and there was Self-Government nine years later on 1st
March 1961.

18. In March 1952 the UNC said: Let there be elections on
the model of one man one vote, and six years later in October
1958 against the desire of the colonial Government which
manipulated matters to get the unelected District Councils to
decide whether or not a District "wanted elections" there were
elections in 10 Districts "which wanted elections."

19. The Constituent parts of Uganda which did not want
elections in 1958 were Ankole, Buganda and Bugisu. The rest
wanted elections and Busoga for the purposes of the 1958
elections was divided into two. Although there were more, only
two political Parties the UNC and the DP contested the 1958
elections and the UNC won 5 seats in Acholi, Lango, Teso,
Bukedi, one in Busoga. The DP won in West Nile and the rest (4
seats) in Kigezi, Bunyoro, Toro and one in Busoga were won by
Independents who later formed the Uganda Peoples Union which
in 1960 merged with the UNC to form the UPC.
*Uganda Peoples Congress*
20. From 1959 principally on account of the activities of
the UNC and the DP, Ankole and Bugisu abandoned opposition to
elections but not Buganda. Someone who claims to be a son from
Ankole being the leader of the Terrorist NRA was to suppress
in 1986 the multiparty competitive elections to which Ankole
and the rest of Uganda except Buganda had agreed as basic
system of governance. The Buganda opposition to elections the
strongest proponents of which were and still are the political
Parties all of which at formation such as the UNC, DP,
Progressive Party (PP) had not only Baganda as their leaders
but also much followings in Buganda was most unfortunate
because it coincided with opposition to the political Parties
being active in Buganda and which also coincided with the
decision by the Lukiiko for Buganda not to be represented in
the Central Legislature in 1958 which was to have some
directly elected members and also most unfortunate because the
decision of the Lukiiko also further coincided with its
demands for a Federal Relation with the rest of Uganda which
was later compounded by the decision that the Lukiiko and not
the voters in Buganda were to elect Buganda's Representatives
to the National Assembly.

21. From 1958 Buganda therefore had a mind boggling
political cocktail of: -
1. Buganda not to be represented in the Central
legislature which decision was taken in 1958 and confirmed in
1959.
2. No public elections to the Central Legislature.
The decision was taken in 1958 and confirmed in 1960.
3. No political Parties in Buganda. The decision was
taken in 1959.
4. The Lukiiko and not the voters to elect Buganda's
Representatives to the Central Legislature. The decision was
taken in 1961 after the elections of that year.
5. Buganda to have Federo or Independence. The
Resolution was passed in the Lukiiko in December 1959
.
22. The political cocktails made the Federo in the 1962
Constitution to be prey to ambitious, selfish and cantankerous
politicians who wanted to wield power without corresponding
responsibilities because Buganda's Federo (the largest): -
1. Denied direct link with and protection of the
people in Buganda who should have elected Buganda's
Representatives to the National Assembly.
2. Denied the protection of political parties to be
active in Buganda as well as in other parts of Uganda and to
be eager to form a government at Mengo.
3. Denied the protection of the people in Buganda who
would have been free to be in active politics in Buganda as
well as in all parts of Uganda and to hold offices in National
political Parties.
4. The oppositions to political parties being active
in Buganda, to direct elections to the national Assembly made
Buganda's Federo (the largest in the 1962 Constitution) to be
born without a father and not even a guardian. That is why it
was taken over in 1965 by selfish, ambitious and cantankerous
politicians who like prostitutes wanted to use Buganda's
Federo to wield power without responsibilities. The power of
representation which the people wield inherent in direct
elections to the National Assembly and in active political
Parties being in Buganda had been wilted away when the take
over was made.
*Uganda Peoples Congress*


23. The 15 UPC Nationalists shall go to Buganda. The
Nationalists shall tell the people that as much as the UPC
supports Federo for parts of Uganda which want it, Federo
without the protection of the political Parties, at least two
Parties operating and active in Buganda shall be a baby
without a father and protection.

24. The nationalists shall also tell the people that the NRM
being the political Wing of the military is not a civil Party
and believes in dictatorship and that dictatorship is by
definition the world over does not believe in more than one
centre of governance. The Nationalists will warn that the NRM
which has already banned the calling of meetings to debate
Federo and wants its leader to be a Life dictator may say what
are most pleasing to hear about Federo in order to get its
Leader to be Life dictator.
*Uganda Peoples Congress*
25. The UPC Nationalists will tell the people everywhere
that without the UPC which is most passionate to deliver on
its promises, there could not have been Federo in the 1962
Constitution. They will tell the people that the Federo in the
1962 Constitution was conceived in the night of the elections
of 1961 when the Kabaka of Buganda rang and spoke to the UPC
President. Although it was after 11 pm the Kabaka urged the
UPC President to defeat the DP in the elections which Buganda
had effectively boycotted. The telephone conversation was
developed into Buganda and the UPC working together for the
Independence of Uganda and included UPC/KY Alliance.

26. Had the Kabaka Yekka been a real political Party and not
a Movement like the NRM and had it been engaged in promoting
the enjoyment and exercise of the human rights and freedoms of
the individual citizen, it would not have been taken over by
cantankerous politicians who caused the break up of the Federo
in the 1962 Constitution. The lesson is clearly that unless
Federo is protected by at least two political Parties actively
competing in politics and public elections, Federo is most
fragile and can easily break.

27. The UPC did not win the 1961 elections to the National
Assembly contested by 5 Political Parties as itself and the
Kabaka Sir Edward had wanted or hoped but the published
results of the elections gave the UPC a proud record which the
15 Nationalists and freedom road finders will take to every
corner of Uganda.
*Uganda Peoples Congress*
28. The published results showed that: -
1. The UPC won in areas of Uganda where the elections
were not boycotted receiving 494,959 votes cast to its nearest
rival which received 415,718 votes cast.
2. The UPC did not use its victory in areas where the
elections had been free and fair to campaign and cause
instability that it had won the elections as many Parties in
Africa have done.
3. Only the UPC Leader of all Party Leaders was
returned unopposed in his Constituency.
4. The votes of 21,295 cast for the UPC Vice
President in his Constituency was more than the 19,534 votes
cast for the winning Party throughout the province of Buganda.
5. The UPC developed the telephone conversation which
the Kabaka and the UPC leader had on the night of the 1961
elections and also its victory in areas where the elections
were not boycotted to get the Kabaka, the Kabaka's Government
and Buganda's Lukiiko to rescind the Lukiiko's decision of
1958 for Buganda not to be represented in the National
Assembly. This was later made less whole when the Lukiiko
reneged and decided to elect Buganda's Representatives instead
of the people doing so. The UPC responded by not fielding
candidates in the elections to the Lukiiko.
6. In closing Uganda's first Constitutional
Conference, the British Secretary of State for the Colonies
stated on 9 October, 1961 that Uganda was to have internal
self government on 1st March 1962 with a Prime Minister. While
the Leader of the Party which had won the 1961 elections
accepted the Conference to be closed on that note, the UPC
Leader demanded that the date for Independence be announced
before the Conference closed. There were four adjournments as
the Secretary of State consulted his Prime Minister. At last
after 4 adjournments the Secretary of State announced that:
"provided all arrangements can be made in time, Uganda shall
be Independent one year from today 9 October 1961 and Uganda
became Independent on 9 October 1962 in fulfilment of the
UNC's clarion call in 1952 in the words of "Self Government
Now" which took about ten years. The son, UPC had fulfilled
the wishes of his father.
*Uganda Peoples Congress*
29. The agreed system of governance of Independent Uganda
and as Legacy to the memories of those who participated in the
Independence struggles was provided in the Independence
Constitution of 1962 and repeated in the Constitution of 1966
and 1967. It was that the people govern Uganda and possessed
the powers of the Government of Uganda through their elected
representatives who are elected in public elections contested
by more than one political Party. The system also stipulated
that except with his or her consent, no citizen is to be hindered in
the enjoyment of his human rights and in exercising his
freedoms.

30. The Terrorist NRA took over possession of the powers of
the Government of Uganda by the people and invested them in a
committee of its NRM Party which, in turn, continued the take
over in the 1995 Constitution.

31. Today, at this ceremony, and celebration, the UPC
publicly announces its decision to revive and reactivate its
Branches as the first step to the return to the people their
powers to govern Uganda as provided in the 1962 Constitution
repeated in the 1967 Constitution. The UPC also announces to
work for citizens of Uganda to enjoy and exercise unhindered
the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the individual.

32. Unlike the Kangaroo Party of the Uganda dictatorship
which goes by the name of the National Resistance Movement
(NRM), the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) has existed by
inheriting and zealously keeping the human rights attributes
in the birth of its parent - the Uganda National Congress
(UNC) borne in 1952. Amongst those attributes are that every
citizen be free to form or join a political party of his or her
choice and that no one be conscripted into a political party
in the manner in which the dictatorship of the National
Resistance Army (NRA) and the NRM has done since January 1986.

33. Whereas NRM has been most demonic to Ugandan citizens by
suppressing their God given fundamental human rights and
freedoms, UPC on the other hand incarnates, encompasses,
encapsulates and embodies everything noble and beautiful in
the enjoyment and exercise by the citizen of his human rights
and freedoms consequently. UPC cherishes respect for human
rights and freedoms as a God given heritage. Twice when the
UPC formed the Government of Uganda, the Party never amended
the Constitution to provide for a one-Party State or to
individual.
*Uganda Peoples Congress*
34. Seventeen years of NRM one-Party cum military
dictatorship have not only been characterised by political
repression and suppression of fundamental human rights and
freedoms but have also been punctuated by wars, massacres,
destruction and despoliations launched against peaceful and
unarmed civilians and which wars are still being waged in the
districts of Kitgum, Pader, Gulu, Apac, Lira, Soroti, Katakwi,
Kumi, Kotido, Moroto, Nakapiripirit. Kasese and Bundibugyo as
battlegrounds. The wars have extended beyond the borders of
Uganda into Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and Sudan leading to the loss
of millions of lives, extensive destruction of property and
plunder of vital natural resources.

35. As citizens and friends of Uganda are peacefully
gathered at this ceremony, citizens of Uganda are also being
massacred in various Districts. In the Districts of Gulu,
Pader and Kitgum, the massacres have been going on since
mid-March 1986. Despite blames on the now well known Lord's
Resistance Army, many massacres have also been committed by
the official army. To have taxpayers' money buy the guns to
massacre taxpayers is perhaps the greatest crime of all.

36. When after signing the Proclamation of the NRA in 1986,
President Museveni stated that he was to introduce a
fundamental change, Uganda's leaders never thought that the
fundamental change would be the massacres of citizens. Since
it is now clear that Museveni's fundamental change is really
the massacres of citizens of Uganda and the looting of the
resources of the people, Uganda's leaders should speak out
with louder voices. Uganda still has and shall always have
leaders. Uganda's leaders do not need guns like those in the
hands of Joseph Kony and Yoweri Museveni. Each of Uganda's
leaders has the God given weapons such as brain power to see
and the tongue to speak out against evil.

37. Today and at this ceremony, the UPC now declares war
against the evils in Museveni's dictatorship and the Party
shall use only brain power, the tongue and the pen.

38. In 1996 during the Presidential elections campaign,
Museveni said that he was not going to leave his army to
another person. He repeated the same insult to the voters of
Uganda in the Presidential elections of 2001. Now, let
Uganda's leaders who are in the political Parties, in
Parliament, in the Christian Churches, in Islam and in
communities take up the war against evil. Let the
Parliamentarians for instance unite and block his Third Term
desire and the Parliamentary members should also examine
whether or not they have the numbers to enact democracy under
Articles 20 and 21 of the Constitution. Let the political
Parties unite and face the dictatorship's Negotiating Team
with only one Team and let the world witness fall of the
Museveni dictatorship.
*Uganda Peoples Congress*
39. There are five most perturbing matters in what is now
called the Northern war and they are as follows: -
1. The war and massacres began in mid-March 1986.
2. Operation Iron Fist launched in 2002 to rid Uganda
of the LRA menace, now appears to have been launched to help
the LRA to expand.
3. After the NRM sent its Resolutions to the Sempebwa
Commission, gunmen in uniform later described as LRA by the
dictatorship began to appear in Apac and Lira Districts and
are now said to be in Katakwi, Soroti and Kumi Districts.
4. President Museveni went to Gulu with much fanfare
to fight the LRA and from there ordered Ministerial Budgets to
be reduced to raise funds to fight the LRA but he is now
mostly in Teso where he claims the LRA now has bases as
opposed to its having bases in Sudan.
5. It now seems as if the more the NRM wants its
leader to be Life President, the more the LRA expands its
areas of operations.

40. Military adventurism perpetrated by Museveni replaced
Uganda's long standing tradition of good neighbourliness,
regional co-operation and peaceful co-existence fostered by
the first UPC government. In the 1960s, Uganda played a
pivotal role in the establishment of the East African
Community, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and the
Non-Aligned Movement. Kampala was the venue for the signing of
the East African Treaty for co-operation in 1964. A similar
policy was pursued by UPC in the 1980s. In 1984 the UPC
government concluded a Mediation Agreement with Kenya and
Tanzania......


- A.M.Obote - President, U.P.C -