Lango Web

By LW Correspondents in Lango, 29 April 2009

Dr Kizza Besigye: "I will not accept power-sharing with Museveni" 

FDC leader Dr Kizza Besigye who is currently touring Lango region in northern Uganda has encountered extremely cold and at times hostile reception. His press conference in Lira on Monday was reportedly attended by a handful of 'hooligans'.

People of Lango are questioning what benefits Besigye can bring to the region and the FDC boss is reported to have hardly impressed anybody as he struggles to answer some tough questions such as why it took him so long to pay respect to the victims of Barlonyo massacre.

Today is Besigye's third day of his one week tour to all the five districts of Lango to reassure the local people of his determination to remove President Museveni from power. However, most people interviewed were not impressed.

"Last time Besigye came here and lied to us that he would bring change to Uganda and we voted for him but this time round he will not get my vote because he just wants to use us for nothing", said a businessman in Lira.

It was in Amolatar and Dokolo districts that Besigye registered some applause from a section of Lango independent legislators who early this year agreed to work with FDC, such as former UPC iron lady Cecilia Ogwal.  

Dr Besigye is scheduled to visit Barlonyo in Ogur Sub County where over three hundred civilians were butchered in 2004 by LRA rebels, a move which has sparked off a wave of sharp verbal bashings for the former soldier in all the FM radio stations in the region.  

Some people are questioning why Besigye is visiting Barlonyo more than five years after the massacre, when general elections are approaching, and yet he never stood with them during the time of insurgency.

As if to brush off people's criticism, Besigye tried to bluff the Langi when he said: "Lango sub region has been the strongest area in the struggle for change even when I was still with Museveni in the NRM". 

Besigye warned that the situation in the country might turn chaotic in 2011. "If the electoral commission remains under the soul control of Museveni the country may turn chaotic and very disruptive", he stated.

Ugandans must learn from Kenya and Zimbabwe elections where thousand were butchered and millions of property destroyed and looted?, he cautioned.

The angry FDC leader vehemently ruled out power-sharing with President Museveni in case Uganda experiences a situation similar to that of Kenya where the opposition rejected election results following allegations of vote rigging and later settled for power sharing.  

"I will not accept power-sharing with Museveni", the retired Colonel boomed. "I will send Museveni packing to his home in Rwakitura", he added amid applaud from some former UPC members who recently defected to FDC. 

Dokolo woman MP Cecilia Ogwal, one of the defectors, urged people of Lango to maintain their struggle for change "in order to avert the selfish political leadership in this country".

This is Dr Besigye's second appearance in the region in 2 years. The last time he went to Lango was to attend the funeral of the late Okullo Epak, former MP for Oyam South.