Politician accuses the President of intimidating the public by his appearances in military uniform.
Former Forum for Democratic Change president Kizza Besigye has responded to a wide range of issues raised by President Museveni last week, accusing him of telling lies about NRM achievements.
Dr Besigye yesterday in a statement issued yesterday described the NRM government as a dictatorial regime, adding that Mr Museveni’s continued donning of the military uniform at non-military functions was meant to intimidate the people whenever he is faced with challenges.
“Worse still Mr Museveni’s use of the UPDF combat uniform is not restricted to official ceremonies. He has been prominently seen recently wearing combat dress to civilian burials, weddings, commissioning a small dam, addressing Makerere students etc,” Dr Besigye wrote.
He added: “He even personally carries an assault machinegun, as he did while inspecting the Bududa mudslide disaster! The timing of wearing military attire betrays the intention. It is brought out when there are political challenges (from the “saboteurs, undisciplined political actors etc); for which he needs to remind all concerned where the power lies.”
In his statement, Dr Besigye concludes that, “Uganda is presently run, essentially, as a military dictatorship; the UPDF is not run as a professional national institution envisaged under the law and Constitution, but as a regime-protection force; and Mr Museveni is the common factor is mismanaging the politics and the military.”
He claimed that the commander of Special Forces Commander, Brig. Keinerugaba Muhoozi, was illegally recruited into the forces. Dr Besigye, who was once a commandant of the Masaka-based Mechanised Brigade, says recruitment, training, deployment, and promotions of UPDF officers are regulated by the UPDF Act and Regulations- Conditions of Service for officers (CS-O).
He added the above factors determine what is lawful or illegal. He cites section 51(1) of UPDF Act which states that: “Authority to recruit persons into the Defence Forces is vested in the Defence Forces Council”. “Regulation 7 of CS-O provides the procedure for Application for Commission. A person shall not be enrolled into the UPDF unless he/she fills a prescribed form and has been selected by a committee.”
On Sat, Feb 2, 2013 at 1:17 PM, Hannah Ogwapiti <hannahogwapiti@googlemail.com> wrote:
--
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
---Theodore Roosevelt
No comments:
Post a Comment