LOVE...JUSTICE...FREEDOM...PEACE...DEMOCRACY..


DEPUTY LEADER,
THE UGANDA G7
HIS EXCELLENCE, THE
HON. WALUBIRI PETER
www.walubiripeter.0catch.com

- AUDIO -
"For God & My Country"
Some quotes from a Feb 22 - 29, 2004 interview with
the Hon. Walubiri Peter.

Mr Peter Walubiri is: a member of the Uganda People's
Congress (UPC) Presidential Policy Commission; chairperson
to the UPC National Organising Commitee - NOC (Sound)
and deputy leader of the opposition group, which has
been named the G-7.
Sunday Monitor's Alex B. Atuhaire asked him to explain
what the opposition hopes to come out of the talks with
government.
QN: The talks seem to be hitting a snag? Should the public
expect anything useful out of this?

The public should pray that government becomes serious with
these talks because there is no other peaceful option to
sort out the gigantic constitutional, legal and economic
problems facing the country other than meaningful dialogue
between government and the opposition which is constituted
by the seven political parties and groups. Government seems
not to be serious over this.

QN: What is the source of this lack of seriousness?

Government doesn't seem to be committed to the outcome of
these talks being binding and being the basis of the way
forward for this country. They seem to be interested in
using the talks as a public relations gimmick to show the
world that they respect the opposition.

QN: There is the question of who you are talking to?
Is it the state or Movement party leaders?

The Movement we understand is the organisation running the
state. It is the organisation with mandate to introduce
legislative and constitutional amendments. What we would
wish to see is [Dr. Crispus] Kiyonga and his team to come
out and unequivocally state that they have the full mandate
of government - the executive of this country. That is the
president and his cabinet so that whatever we agree on
becomes binding and will be implemented by the president
and his cabinet.

QN: What drives the G-7?

It is our common belief in
democratic values;
namely multiparty governance based on respect for
fundamental rights and freedoms and rule of law...
That's what unites us, that is what drives us.

QN: What are the G-7 plans for 2006 elections?

There are reports that you have formalised a coalition?
That is again reported out of context. We had a retreat in
Jinja and recommended to the leaders of the seven political
parties and groups to formalise our coalition, which has
been going on for a number of years not essentially for
purposes of electioneering but for purposes of working
together to dismantle dictatorship in Uganda.

QN: President Museveni says you people have no vision to
lead this country?
Of course he doesn't believe that himself. He knows that we
have a vision. The parties that existed before the Movement
have a clear history of being visionary. The parties that
existed before independence namely DP and UPC had clear
vision about independence, self-governance, Africanisation,
export-led growth, quality education, quality health care
and so on. When these parties have had chance to
participate in elections, they have presented elaborate
manifestos. Even new parties have a vision. It is arrogance
of the highest mark on his part to denigrate the
opposition. Eighteen years down the road, his vision has
not born fruit. Peasants are still dying of curable
diseases like malaria, poverty is increasing, and our
economy is increasing donor dependence, our country is
embroiled in war. Is that the fruit of his vision? May be
it's a vision of destruction.

QN: I am reliably told that you will be among the proposed
UPC presidential candidate's come 2006. Is that true?

The party does not propose candidates in cavalier or ad hoc
fashion. We have a constitution. The issue of candidates
can only arise when the party is free to contest under a
multiparty arrangement and when the party has organised
itself and has structures. There are no plans to hold a
delegate's
conference because we are not allowed to hold one.

QN: What is the strength of your politics?
My focus now
is to participate in the democratic struggle to free all
political parties in the country. I am chairman of the UPC
National Organising Committee. My focus is to work
tirelessly to re-organise the structures of the party. We
are busy working to ensure that our branches and
constituency branches are working. Once this is finished,
I will gauge what role I can play in the party and in the
country.


- monitor