Public speaks out on why Besigye lost

Besigye’s pact with Suubi’s Ssemwogerere, according to some readers, cost him the vote

NEW Vision online readers were asked why Besigye lost the presidential elections. Below are their views

Rogers Mataka says: “In previous elections, Besigye was almost the only contender in the northern and eastern Uganda because of the lack of peace in that area. With people living in squalid conditions in IDP camps, Besigye found fertile ground to sow his message against the NRM. The people were not in any condition to critically analyse his message and vote accordingly.

In addition, the NRM cadres were weak and half-hearted in their attempts to convince the people that Museveni had their welfare at heart. In Teso in particular, the people were so bitter against government for failing to protect them that some were willing to believe the government was in cahoots with the Karamojong to impoverish them!

In this election, the formation of the IPC and inability for Besigye to attract the bigger parties like DP and the subsequent breakaway by UPC spoke volumes about Dr. Besigye’s leadership potential.

Besigye comes from the same region as Museveni. Most people in this region have not yet seen any reason to get rid of Museveni. To most people Besigye, is simply a spoiler. Besigye’s incapacity to have a stronghold in his backyard has always been a big weakness for him.

Ernest Mutanga says: “Besigye’s loss can be attributed to three facts; newly-registered voters, hard-core NRM supporters and the divided opposition.

Stephen Engwau says: “Besigye’s dismal performance in the presidential polls was due to his message to the electorate. He was concentrating on national issues, yet the electorate are interested in the local issues affecting the communities.Museveni was smart enough to handle local issues by challenging the NAADs officials to explain where the billions of shillings he sent to them was taken amidst cheering from charged crowds.
 
Gladys Kajumba says: “From day one, Besigye has been disorganised. We have witnessed his colleagues fighting on the street and even fighting between themselves, to the extent of Beti Kamya forming her own party. This is a big challenge. Secondly, Besigye relied on what is called ‘public majority’. He thought all the people involved in his rallies would vote for him, which wasn’t true.”

Andrew Kiggundu says: “I know six people who changed their alliance from Besigye to Museveni after the Buganda riots that hit Kampala. To them, safety was seriously threatened and they needed to support someone with capacity to take control. The rioters were beating all the non-Baganda, even if they were not responsible for refusing the Kabaka’s visit to Kayunga. The Mengo government did not even condemn the acts.

The non-Baganda needed Museveni to protect their livelihoods in Buganda, while the Baganda wanted to protect their Kabaka from politics.

The opposition was not serious in their campaign message. They prioritised removal of Museveni as if he was the problem of ordinary Ugandans.  

Richard Jawino says: “Besigye had been the little ‘political brother’ to Museveni. Besigye, it seems will always operate under the shadow of his big political brother. Besides, Museveni will always use his big brother advantage to belittle Besigye as no more than a prodigal brother, who really had no good reason to part company with him. I encourage Besigye to step aside as the party leader and a different leader takes over and begins to prepare the party for the next election. Such a leader should be somebody not previously close to Museveni or even NRM since I believe the voters want to see the clear difference between black and white. Besigye has never proved to be a real alternative to Museveni.

Eunice Apio says: “I believe a section of Ugandans thought Besigye’s pact with Buganda Kingdom was selfishly opportunistic on the IPC side at the expense of nation-building. For me, the kind of promises in the pact came too early...it should wait until the divisions and differences negatively impacting on our country are worked on...until we feel Ugandan. Secondly, Besigye or any other opponent of the ruling NRM does not have the capacity of dishing out the kind of money we saw the NRM use in this elections.

Martha Mima says: “The rural masses love Museveni because of various reasons and fear a future without him. Our president must analyse these last polls seriously and decide to continue. Besigye or any other will always lose because of the huge amounts of money dished out by the NRM during the election period. The FDC should also show that they are democratic internally by choosing a new chairman / flag-b earer so as to look different. Otherwise, better the devil you know than the angel you don’t know.”