Democracy and Human Rights Under Siege In Uganda

Uganda: Opposition party leader on arrest

by Emma Mutaizibwa entitled "Tumukunde: Besigye attacks Museveni" Ugandan newspaper Daily Monitor website on 20 June

Exiled Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader Kizza Besigye has said the arrest and forced resignation of Brig Henry Tumukunde depicts double standards in the application of the army policy and regulations.

"The fiasco we are witnessing in the treatment of UPDF [Uganda People's Defence Forces] MPs is typical of the general mismanagement of the UPDF," Dr Besigye, a retired colonel, said in an opinion article sent to Daily Monitor by e-mail.

Besigye said army "policies and regulations apply only as long as they favour the president/C-in-C and his henchmen."

He said, "That is why, during the Constituent Assembly, then Lt [Noble] Mayombo was able to move very controversial motions; yet, when some of us expressed ourselves opposing them, the Army Council was summoned to condemn us."

Besigye was an army delegate in the assembly that debated and enacted the 1995 Constitution. He got into trouble together with army delegates such as David Tinyefuza and Sserwanga Lwanga for taking positions contrary to those of the NRM majority in the Assembly.

In the article, he suggests that all would have been well if the maverick officers had supported Museveni's positions.

Besigye said: "That is why Brig Tumukunde and most of the top UPDF officers were able to go on the campaign trail addressing rallies and intimidating the population to re-elect President Museveni; yet, the same Tumukunde faces the fire when he says that he opposes Museveni's life presidency project."

Before falling out with the establishment, Tumukunde, former director-general of the Internal Security Organization (ISO), had been involved in an underground campaign to intimidate and harass Besigye's supporters during the 2001 presidential campaigns. He once said at a campaign rally that he would never serve in an army where Besigye was commander-in-chief.

Tumukunde was arrested last month and later charged with "spreading harmful propaganda" following his appearance on two Kampala radio talk shows on which he criticised President Museveni.

He was remanded by the Military Court chaired by Lt-Gen. Elly Tumwine for two months.

The UPDF Forces Council last week elected Brig. Andrew Gutti to replace Tumukunde as army MP.

Besigye said even as Tumukunde is "condemned and jailed, Maj. Kakooza Mutale is free to make even more controversial public statements that contradict 'Government' official policy."

Mutale, the presidential adviser on political affairs, has said he will continue to campaign for the retention of the Movement system, contrary to the government's position to open up the political space.

President Museveni said at the NEC conference in Munyonyo that Mutale was making a mistake.

Besigye said although Museveni had gone "to great length to show why army personnel should not take public positions on controversial issues ...[ellipsis as published] UPDF MPs are already at the forefront of publicly voting on controversial issues, including his life presidency project."

He said "the UPDF is equal to President Museveni" and that the commander-in-chief "has persistently acted in complete disregard" of army policies and regulations in the management of the UPDF.