Mao reveals walk secrets

Written by Michael Mubangizi
OBSERVER, THURSDAY 19 May 2011 20:28

DP President General Nobert Mao has lately been in the news for his participation in the walk-to -work protests, for which he and FDC President Dr Kizza Besigye, among others, have been in and out of detention.

In an interview with Michael Mubangizi, Mao reveals the agenda of the walk-to-work campaign, and tells of how he and Besigye stealthily mapped out their plan of action under the guise of soccer matches in Nakasongola prison, under the careful watch of prison guards.

There seems to be a change in Mao and DP, from being civil, moderate and non-militant to rebellious people now fighting with police on the streets instead of courts of law. What has led to this change?

The Mao and DP that you say have changed is a stereotype. I have been engaged in struggles for human rights and democracy from the time I was a student.

Was it not this Norbert Mao who led the student strikes at Makerere, evicted a cabinet minister (Betty Bigombe) from a parliamentary seat in Gulu (municipality), walked on foot to Garamba forest to meet LRA’s Joseph Kony, denounced state terrorism and corruption in Parliament, and led the censuring of key ministers?

How can you say you don’t know this current Mao? If anything, this current Mao is very moderate. I think the media has defined our struggle very narrowly by confining it to mean an internal struggle of NRM; namely Museveni Vs Besigye and I think this is a disservice to Ugandans.

The Democratic Party has also always been militant. It is our DP leaders who took on the colonial government to fight for the right by Africans to organize cooperatives and sell their produce to the outside world. DP has since 1964 been on the side of the downtrodden.

That’s why we are a party of truth and justice. Most importantly, people at DP helm now have largely been through the crucible of the Uganda Young Democrats; so, our experience is different from those who have been less militant and have been leading a fairly tame struggle.

But as far as I am concerned, Norbert Mao is still the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Won’t the party lose some members because of your new approach to politics?

The essence of power and might is flexibility. I have been working very well with NRM officials in Gulu to return our people (from camps) and to pursue peace talks. This is the flexibility that we need.

I am only rigid when it comes to core principles; and not any difference of opinion is a difference of principle. Support depends on results and as long as we are delivering results, people will always support us.

Is walk to work the best medium of addressing your grievances, with all its dark sides like death of people and others that have been injured?

There are many actors of walk to work – like heads of political parties like myself, MPs, civil society, our activists and NRM and its security apparatus. The murders, destruction and beatings have always happened whenever police and military use lethal force against unarmed civilians.

We take responsibility of ensuring that our supporters don’t misbehave, and they have never misbehaved, destroyed property or even thrown stones unless the police have, without provocation, used lethal force against them.

Walk to work is just one method; the core issue to me is that we have a government devoid of any legitimacy because of the manner in which the election was conducted. We didn’t have an accurate voters’ register, an independent electoral commission, state coffers were raided to bribe voters, and there was widespread ballot stuffing.

Which means the issue is not the high fuel and food prices as you claim?

Of course. The high fuel and food prices are symptoms of an uncaring government whose foundations are greed, corruption and incompetence. If you have free and fair elections, then you’re responsive to the needs of the people.

So, walk to work is like a fire alarm. It doesn’t put out the fire; it draws attention to the fire. We in the opposition must challenge the NRM’s bogus argument that the high fuel and food prices are due to international factors.

Is it the international actors who raided our national treasury to flood the population with money, creating inflation; and who are fostering corruption?

Walk to work is an important way of drawing attention to the problem, but as political party leaders, we need a government that is legitimate, responsive and cares about the people. So, while we treat the symptoms of high fuel and food prices, we must continue rocking the foundations of this illegitimate government so that Ugandans get a better government.

It doesn’t matter whether you have been sworn in two days ago; the people reserve the right to hire and fire government any time. The five-year term is not there to be taken for granted. A president and government serve at the pleasure of the people.

At any moment, if the people decide that you are no longer suitable to serve them, they can raise a red card for you to get out.

Does walk to work aim at raising that red card to government?

Walk to work has played a role in exposing the nakedness of government, but we also think that after 25 years, President Museveni is tired and has run out of new ideas. That’s why he is making one mistake after another.

If government deals with the high food and fuel prices; will that end the walk-to-work campaign?

We’re political parties with a broad agenda. The current NRM government is a dictatorship, which has to be dismantled. They are invading the independence of courts, presiding over the most corrupt government in the history of Uganda, and turning the country into a police state.

There are many other issues to be dealt with, like the need for free and fair elections, an independent electoral commission, a verifiable voters’ register, restoration of presidential term limits, and a probe into what went wrong in the last election.

When you realise that you are not legitimate, you step aside. When Mubarak was thrown out, he had just won with ‘80%’, and so was the case in Tunisia. So, the question of legitimacy is very important.

Where do you see President Museveni in the next five years?

I don’t know. My job is to continue checking the foundations of a dictatorship until it falls. Besides, it is not about what Norbert Mao sees. I think the people of Uganda must decide either to leave President Museveni behind, or he holds us back.

Personally, I hope that this government will fall because of the pressure that we will apply to it through a variety of non-violent defiance campaigns, which will create internal stress. Already, security chiefs are clashing, which is a sign that what we are doing is having an impact.

During the demand for multi-partyism, it was our external pressure on NRM which caused people like Col Besigye to jump ship and join us. So, as we continue to put pressure on NRM, we are going to continue to hear more voices from inside the NRM also speaking our language.

What explains the non-participation of people like Beti Kamya, Bidandi Ssali and Fred Mukasa Mbidde in walk to work?

Mbidde has been out of the country; Mzee Bidandi Ssali can’t be vigorous on the road due to advanced age; our sister Beti Kamya believes mistakenly that struggles like walk to work don’t work. Obviously, she needs to re-read history.

We have a duty to reach out to such leaders and explain to them. They may not join walk to work, but we need their support. We can’t just dismiss them. I don’t like the language of some of our colleagues in the opposition who dismiss anyone who disagrees with them as a Museveni stooge.

Even me, I’ve been a victim of that, but because my history of political struggle against this regime is longer than some political parties, I have been able to withstand that pressure.

What was good and bad about your prison experience?

Going to prison was my choice. The seven of us wouldn’t descend to the point of begging for bail when we knew that the charges against us were bogus.

The government brings these charges with no intention of prosecuting the cases, but to intimidate, harass and humiliate political opponents. So I told my colleagues that there will be no bail. It was a shock because in Uganda, no one has ever rejected bail.

We went to jail to protest the bogus and malicious charges. We also wanted to go to jail to show that we are not afraid to spend time in prison. The NRM has always said that unlike the ordinary people, we leaders have money and can always get bail, while they (people) suffer. Our going to jail has vaccinated our followers against that propaganda.

Prison is not a nice place. Even if you eat the best food in prison, sleep on the best bed, or have fresh linen brought to you every morning, the loss of liberty is painful. You miss your family, children. The first time we arrived in prison, we had to ask fellow inmates for soap.

They also shared with us their tiny mattresses, gave us their bed sheets, food and water. Prison is a great equaliser; it brings all of you to the same level. In our case, President Museveni did well to imprison Col Besigye and me in Nakasongola because it provided a good meeting without interruption.

We had three meetings on important issues and you can see the fruits of our meeting. Prison provided an opportunity for us to agree on common ground. So, Nakasongola was like what you may call a Mao- Besigye summit.

We had good time to interact, although the prison authorities didn’t make it easy for us to interact because they put us in different wings of the prison. However, under the guise of watching football, which is played on most afternoons, we would always sit together and talk while watching football because you can’t stop people from standing together while watching football.

This wasn’t TV; it was real football played by the prisoners. There was no TV but there was an old radio put together with superglue, and the prison authorities allowed us to listen to radio. Prison also gives you time to reflect.

Between you and Besigye, who invited the other for football?

I was at the gate when Col Besigye was brought in, so I welcomed him. I was in prison when he was shot with a rubber bullet. He was imprisoned with three other colleagues; I was imprisoned with seven, making us 11 – equivalent to a football team.

We would send messages through our team members and in the afternoon get together and talk. And on his last day in Nakasongola, when he was going to court, I went to say farewell to him and we sat down and chatted again and I wished him well. Unfortunately, it was after that that he got the real severe beating by the security forces.

Was the visit by the diplomats that enraged the government pre-arranged?

We didn’t know that they were coming to visit. They also didn’t come as diplomats, but as international partners of the justice, law and order sector in Uganda. They were representing the European Union, the Irish embassy and the embassy of the Netherlands.

They wanted to see the condition of Nakasongola prison. These are people who have been giving the Uganda government support to build and renovate prisons, police stations and courts. In short, they were partners; they didn’t come to discuss our political views, but to discuss how we were being treated.

They first met me and later Col Besigye. I was shocked by the fuss made by the government. First of all, their visit was cleared at the highest level, so for them to be lambasted was ridiculous, unless we have many governments.

The walk to work campaign seems to have united you, the opposition. Are you not uniting after defeat, yet you failed to unite before elections?

That view of yours is very disrespectful. It assumes that we don’t have brains to make the correct judgment. The walk to work has nothing to do with an election platform, a joint candidature or even 2016. We aren’t forming an IPC (inter-party cooperation) of sorts for 2016.

We gave our views for not joining IPC and people should respect them. The IPC wasn’t agenda driven; it was personality driven. That’s why there was an obsession with who becomes a joint presidential candidate. We believe that we took the right decision in regard to IPC, which could even have saved us from more problems.

You saw for yourself; they had an agreement, but weren’t complying with it. Walk to work has an agenda. Those who say all of us are supporting Col Besigye are mistaken.

Is that the reason we see you sitting with Sam Lubega, who also claims to be DP President like you?

The door is open for our brother Lubega and all the other DP leaders who didn’t support my candidature. We’re not founders of DP; we’re just fulfilling a dream of our founders and it is up to these leaders to determine if they want to be part of that journey or not.

We sit around the same table with Mr. Lubega, Michael Mabikke, Ambassador Otunnu, Asuman Basalirwa, Mayanja Kibirige and all leaders of other parties because we have agreed on an agenda – that we need to dismantle this leadership through non-violent defiance campaigns and to envision a democratic Uganda which is accommodative to all of us.

Won’t President Museveni’s proposal of a constitutional amendment to deny rioters bail make your campaign fizzle out?

If President Museveni chooses that everybody who disagrees with him should be in jail, we’re ready for that. Let him take all of us to jail. That will still expose to the world who he really is.

Unlike previous postings you have held, you have not announced when you will leave the DP presidency.

The DP presidency is for one year and we have already announced that we are going for the delegates’ conference later this year.

Some party members say you are now in office illegally. You should have left it on February 18, 2011?

The DP constitution says elected NEC members shall hold office for one year, but the same constitution also says – which I find wise – that to avoid a vacuum, leaders shall hold office until the next delegates’ conference.

Many leaders have used that conveniently not to hold a delegates’ conference. We have already said that in the last quarter of this year, we shall hold a delegates’ conference and all positions will be open for election.

Will you offer yourself for re-election?

I still have an agenda and I will offer myself.

Has your participation in the walk to work campaign raised or reduced your chances of retaining the DP Presidency?

The question is, does DP still need Norbert Mao? I had already participated in the presidential elections and raised the DP flag.

Participation in walk to work has enabled those who were defaming me to disabuse themselves of some of their wrong perceptions. People in IPC used to say that we are Museveni moles. I think they have had to swallow their words.

By allowing us to find common ground, participation in walk to work may even help in the DP unity process.

What is your last word to our readers?

We shall continue with the campaign to enlighten Ugandans. Actually, walk to work is power of the powerless. By announcing that you’re walking to work, you challenge people with machine guns, jet fighters and billions of shillings; you’re making them powerless.

It’s like David who had only his five stones, confronting Goliath, who had all the armory, a shield and sword. Ugandans have overcome fear. They’re risking being shot, armed only with their moral claim that power should flow from them.

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Eating the bread of opposition
written by Betty Long Cap , May 18, 2011

Numbers 14:8If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

Mao, the harder the opposition fights you, the stronger you will be. An old German saying: That which does not kill me, makes me stronger.

Feast on the bread of opposition; it will make you stronger. That was the timely message of Pastor Carter Conlon at Times Square Church last Sunday and it applies to all of us.



Mao u are the man
written by kizito , May 18, 2011

Mao ur stand is our stand ur pain is our pain. Brother go do whatever it takes to make him drive m7 crazy


NOW THE REAL MAO I KNOW IS TALKING
written by Charles Kintu , May 18, 2011

Strong words from Mr.Mao It seems the no nonsense Mao I know from Makerere and in Parliament is back.

I cant agree with him more. The NRM has failed Uganda badly and needs to be dismantled. Look at the corruption for instance. No regime has ever been so corrupt. Look at the level of poverty and unemployment.

Hospitals are rotting away while Museveni's relatives are flown to German on tax payers money to give birth. Look at the nepotism. Museveni, his wife, his brother, his in laws, their children etcetera are all in government. What a greedy family!! Not even Idi Amin who was a primary drop out did appoint his wife a minister.

I do not know where Idi Amin's or Obote's land was. But I know Museveni and company owns square miles in Rwakitura, Kyankwanzi, Kisozi, Nakasongola to mention a few. These days people do not even have villages to go back to when they fail to make ends meet in Kampala and other towns because all the land is now owned by the NRM powerful men.

The parliament which is supposed to be independent is now controlled by the president. The judiciary is also compromised as the lawyers strike showed us.

The Director of Prosecution which is also supposed to be independent is the one sanctioning flimsy charges against the opposition leaders. The journalist who are supposed to ensure that the fourth pillar of any democratic state is protected are beaten and shot at every day.

You cannot correct all these ills unless you dismantle the whole system.

Ugandans please wake up. We are not Zimbabweans.


Day Dreamer
written by Besigye , May 18, 2011

It is too absurd that Mr Mao is turning into a comedian joining likes of Semujju Herman.
Very sorry that we are going to miss you in politics but never mind we will enjoy you on stage.


MAO ACCEPT YOUR 3%
written by Sam , May 19, 2011

So why all the lies that the walk to work was about high costs of food and fuel...
Mao really thought he could be president and the 3% just shockd the hell out of him thats why he is acting clownish tese days!!Tulabye!!


Our HERO MAO
written by CANKARA , May 19, 2011

You are brilliant. I wish you were the PRESIDENT. Uganda would have been respectable. For now I see no respect and legitimacy in the current regime. Corruption, brutalising unarmed persons, unlawful detention, trumpt up charges to mention but a few.

One day, even the so called "inner circle" will be with the opposition on the same page leeaving a few "die hards" to die hard.


Opportunistic journalism!
written by Balaba , May 19, 2011

reading through the article, i have faied to see the purported "secrets"
why is it always about money in this country uganda! couldn't the writer get an appropriate title instead of focusing on raising numbers of buyers?

no proffesionalism in any sephere! NRM culture of greed has really destroyed our country.


Interesting.............
written by Joseph Ndugwa , May 19, 2011

It’s like David who had only his five stones, confronting Goliath, who had all the armory, a shield and sword. Ugandans have overcome fear. They’re risking being shot, armed only with their moral claim that power should flow from them.Quite articulate!


Mao is a clown
written by Ketty , May 19, 2011

Because of his hyper ambitions, Mao has become a clown for using failed strategies. He assumed that he had an endorsement to run as DP candidate.

But he was in a hurry to arrive at state presidency without first uniting his party DP. On voting day it was to be observed that Mao was smiling and confident. He did not know what the secret ballot had for him.

For him it was a disaster. And now he has no meaningful paying job, not an MP, not an LCV, nothing. Before that, he was Museveni's man in Gulu who helped divide the opposition. Mao might be finished, the 'walk to work' notwithstanding, is considered already crushed.


Letter to Mao (my former hero)
written by WittyKitty , May 19, 2011

My dear Mao, you continue to disappoint! I have been your admirer for a long time and I have stated that among the bunch collectively known as the opposition I would actually consider voting for you.

It pains me to say that with each passing day, I ask myself: where did the Mao I knew (or thought I knew) go? Perhaps it was too much to expect that your soul would survive the murky world that is called politics. Instead of thinking strategically and looking to 2016 you have been dragged into this madness for short term gains.

As one commentator put it, this madness (my word not his) started as an A4C thing but it has metamorphosed into a Besigye thing and now other opposition politicians are falling over themselves to get a piece of the political mileage. While others like Betty Kamya (my new object of admiration) have realised that they need grassroots structures in place to be competitive, others like you have, in their folly, chosen a short cut to state house.

A short cut that is likely to take you nowhere or worse derail your ambitions. How do your current actions build the structures and goodwill you need for 2016? When will you start building these structures? In 2015 - one year to the election?

If you invested as much time in preparing for 2016 as you are in the walk-to-nowhere madness, don’t you think you will reap the benefits? Are you getting value for money given that you have been relegated to the sidelines by the “Messiah” himself?

You say that this is not an IPC of sorts, so how will the current arrangement play out in 2016 - will you be on the same side with your A4C cohorts or will you start confusing your supporters (again) by slinging mud at each other?

You see that’s what happens to your average potential voter – we get confused when one day you are in DP and the next you are in bed with UPC or one day you are bashing KB and the next you are in bed with him – we are not as sophisticated as you to compartmentalize each day!

Having said that, in the unlikely event that you succeed with your stated goal of taking residence in state house, how will the same issues that plagued IPC be handled?? Have you thought of that or will you cross that bridge when you get there? Perhaps deep down you know this is a path that is leading nowhere and so there is no need to occupy yourself with such complicated but hypothetical scenarios??

You (of all people!) declare that this is an illegitimate government! Who defines or measures legitimacy?? Is the government illegitimate because you and your ilk say so? What is the yardstick you are using?

Is legitimacy measured by the amount of noise one is capable of making? Or the number of headlines they make in a month? Is it defined by whoever has monopoly over the airwaves? What happens when I and my spouse and in-laws disagree with your measure of legitimacy?

Who will be the arbitrator - a boxing ring with a judge, or the streets of Kampala where the one that kills more wins? For the record, to me this is a legitimate government, so there!

I wish I could wish you success in your endeavors, but I will not. I will keep watching from a distance as you self-destruct and then hopefully one day I will get the chance to say; I told you so!





riots are worse than rigging
written by E. B. Sempebwa , May 19, 2011

YOU don't like Museveni. YOU want him out. I, to a lesser extent want him out, too. But there are people who want him to stay. These people are Ugandans as well.

And they should have a say. We cannot just barge into the city, snatch away the president WE don't like, and replace him with the guy WE chose, without consulting them. THEY have as much of a right,and as much of a say on how they are governed as we do.

But if we remove the government with these protests, we just stomp over their rights. The violent minority (and yes. The people who are going to be on the streets are going to be the minority) are going to exert their will upon everybody.

If anybody objects, they had better be prepared to be as violent if not more violent than we are in order for their will to prevail. If they are too scared and they stay at home and let us do what we want, then what has happened here is an act of tyranny. It's a robbery. We came in with our muscles and our noise and our bravery and our loud ideals and we forced everyone to take our leader.


wasaja
written by kamya , May 19, 2011

Mao is an elite and a true son of the soil who feels the pain of the land. unlike this dictator called museveni. the walk has to continue so we can get rid of this museveni.thanks alot mao


Well said E. B. Sempebwa!
written by WittyKitty , May 19, 2011

Exactly my sentiments - but better put!
It remains to be seen how long the majority are going to sit silently as the minority disrupt their lives! I wouldn't wish to see a situation where the two sides have a slug-fest but if push comes to shove, who knows???


hmm
written by mansamusa , May 19, 2011

if this isn't a fabricated story, then am disappointed


Mao Our Man
written by Nsinjo Mary G, Ca., USA , May 19, 2011

Anything that can be done to remove the bloodthirsty, power hungry, pepper poisoners and tear gasers is more than welcome. God save us.


Good to know
written by Mugisha Petero , May 19, 2011

Too many state agents reading the the observer of late. I hope in combing its on-line pages, they see the light. M7 is nolonger good for Uganda. He is stale fish, leftover for over 15 years.


Betty Long Cap????
written by kato , May 19, 2011

betty.thanks for your article,about mao ,but please stop relating the spiritual word of God with the politics ,politics is far different from the bibles verses,the bible is such a great book that it has principles ,eg the bible tells us to submit to those in authority,then here u come and say WALK TO WORK when the govt has said no ,is that submitting to those in authority ,dont look for verses in the bible to gain your selfish ends


Spin Doctors won't hurt Mao!
written by Crested Eye , May 19, 2011

Mao do what you got to do, i will support you, get the baathists out.


Oligo ligo
written by Obilo , May 19, 2011

No Worry Mao. Hang in there. Their days are numbered. Its the kicks of a dying horse. See What the Lord spoke to us recently

Psalms 94:4 They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. Psa 94:5 They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage.
Psa 94:6

They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;Psa 94:7 and they say, "The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive."Psa 94:20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute?
Psa 94:21

They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.
Psa 94:22 But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.

Psa 94:23 He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out.


Bravo Mao
written by Seezi Sewagaba , May 19, 2011

Before,I, distrusted Mao,because I did not know what he stood for.Now Iam beginning to fall in love with the man.Ithink his fight against Museveni is sincere.

He has refused to be a sycophant like many in the NRM."Although you are few and weak,by my spirit shall you prevail."God said these words to some people in the gospel of Zachariah in the Bible.So shall Mao and the opposition prevail against Museveni.

God is always on the side of the truth, and the truth is with the opposition.If destroying the whole of Kampala is the price we shall pay to remove this dictatorship,then we are prepared to pay that price.People like WittyKitty are so weak by character that they even fear even to use their true names when writing.

I do not know why a person like Mao and Besigye should go to the extent of risking even their lives,if they did not believe in the sanctity of their cause.Their integrity cannot be bought and compromised by money as is the case with people like WittyKitty and all thoe sycophants in the NRM.

Thieves who steal Gavi,and CHOGM money and still be voted to parliament cannot be entrusted with the jobb of running our affairs.But there they are imposing themselves on us by force of arms and by other forms of intimidation.

We cannot just look and be passive all the time when our tax money is being stolen and spent on a few individuals carefully handpicked by Museveni.Long live Mao,Besigye and all those engaged in the struggle to oust this dictator.


Got their attention, for once the thugs are uncomfortable
written by Omwouganda , May 19, 2011

For far too long the corrupt regime - military dictatorship - has been too comfortable. This – the W2W - is a good start. People like Mao or Besigye are leading political parties, not some consumer advocacy group. The operative word here is political.

The other day Museveni was castigating opposition politicians for being opportunistic, by joining, and in his minding, hijacking W2W. Apparently as usual the hypocrisy was lost on him, the opportunist-in-chief.

How else does one explain how he ended up fighting a UPC elected government when his little known party, UPM, won only on seat? And it wasn’t even him who won it: he was rejected politically by the people in his own home constituency.

Instead they preferred Kutesa, the current Foreign Minister. The rift was between UPC and DP but he opportunistically cashed in and waged a war that he had no legitimate grounds to. If that wasn't opportunism what is?

He and his brutes are being reactionary for attacking peaceful protestors, when it’s their political right that cannot be subjected to negotiations to express their grievances.
It is an achievement by ordinary people, making the rogue regime uncomfortable.

It is only start. Like all rights, protesting is a right that is directed against the government, so naturally it is never going to like it. They better get used to it because protests are here to stay as part and percel of political expression in a democratic society that Ugandans rightfully aspire to.

The solution is for them to address people’s issues – escalating commodity prices being one – they have for decades willfully neglected.



Hmmm so why the fuss!!!!!!
written by lorence , May 19, 2011

We told you. You see you cannot pretend for ever.

Mao has said nothing new.

Carry on with your 3% why didnt you do that (Unite) during the elections?????
Stop fooling us, we are fed up of your hypocrisy.


Waiting to be Polished
written by Akiiki Kebirungi , May 20, 2011

Witty Kitty thank you very much!!!

Such a person it is good that he is taught a culture of speech otherwise he would have already killed left uncontrolled. he has no respect for the people's choice and and labels the choice as illegitimate. he might not even know the meaning.

or in his culture he is taught the concept of majority choice he is taught to be selfish and have no respect for others. It is good that the prevailing culture of law and order is teaching other aggressive culture how to leave in the society today in Uganda. We know it may take time for such to be polished and refined. Thank you


Sempebwa, the irony of your post
written by Ssekalo , May 20, 2011

Sempebwa, I couldn't help but notice the irony of your statement: don't you think the NRM govt does to an extent force its will on the majority by the tools of coercion (guns), incumbency, legislation (diabolical laws) or persuasion (money) that it has at its disposal?

But just a quick education, the so-called minority that go out to the streets will only succeed if they have the goodwill of the majority staying back at home, in their offices, in their businesses. It is unreasonable to expect everyone to go protest on the streets.

But lemme tell you, if the minority are pushing an idea that is entirely popular, whether backed by force or not, they WILL NOT succeed (Libya is a case in point). The reverse is also true.

Lemme give you two examples. 1.Uganda: NRA didn't enrol every able male/female for the guerilla war in teh 80s, did it? But it succeeded. Why? The conditions were favourable, and that afforded it goodwill. Example 2: Egypt has a population of 80 million people.

Only 1 million turned up at Tahrir to oust Mubarak (plus a few thousand more in places like Alexandria). So, if you choose to ignore the important possibility that a minority can represent a majority, then Mubarak's fall would never have been possible.

I too have questions for the Opposition, but Mao makes a good point on legitimacy. It's about legitimacy. It's the only reason why a govt which won by a clear majority is uneasy about lawful protests. It's also because of legitimacy deficits that govts that won elections by 90% (Egypt, Tunisia) get toppled by their same 'supporters'.

And oh yea, a minority can act in the interest of the majority as we have seen with most coups all over the continent (Niger offers our most recent example). The problem with Africa is that these 'liberators' have gone ahead to act like the dictators they had removed.


Sinking Mao
written by Freddie Itaza , May 20, 2011

Mao open your eyes. Besigye is trying to re-invent himself and dragging you along in the process.

Immediately after elections the likes of Odonga Otto, Nandala Mafabi, Abdu Katuntu etc, were gunning to take over FDC leadership. Odongo Otto said he almost lost his seat because Besigye was not selling in the North. His long time ally Andrew Mwenda wrote in his paper that Besigye was not "selling papers".

Maybe you are trying to re-invent yourself too after statement like "Mao Must Go" from Namboze et al?
Wake up young man. Are you blind to the absence or at best less than enthusiastic involvement of many opposition politicians in this drama?


Just Lost It...
written by Ndiwulila , May 20, 2011

Mao, During the last heavily contested Presidential Election, I had a chat with some young/new voters and we seemed to agree that you were a credible candidate and could have our votes if there was a chance your party could win.

However it was obvious that you and yours were not yet strong enough and that those would be wasted votes but we agreed that by playing your cards right, you was our next man come 2016.

Unfortunately you just f****d up and joined the hare-brained antics of a misguided team of losers, a team not concerned about torching our Uganda because they failed to get into power - a simple case of if I can't have it then nobody should. Surely I had some respect for you but waapi! you're just the same.

Instead of promoting chaos, I expected you to concede defeat like a mature politician and then focus on building your party and bid for presidency through productive efforts such as helping the unemployed youth focus on income generation through agriculture, entrepreneurship, and other creative activities.

I am disappointed in you Mao and will now focus on the more sober Abed as credible future candidates.

You just lost It.




No Eating for Mao
written by Victor , May 20, 2011

Mao has to be forgiven as there will be no eating for him for a long time. The LCV has been taken by someone else as well as the MP's position. As an LCV Mao's was the first family of Gulu.

All donors from abroad had to part with some tips, kickbacks, to Mao for him to welcome them in his 'area of influence' resettling the IDPs. From that connection he assumed he could be president. He had not done his homework to test his popularity and tell us what he has done for the rest of the country. Absolutely nothing!


Mao, you missed the Boat!
written by Jane , May 20, 2011

Mao has trully missed the boat. He is like a sinking man trying to get a breath of fresh air while drowning. He is not even being drowned by the NRM but by his own strategic weaknesses and divided party.

He should have taken the opportunity to show his willingness to cooperate with other opposition leaders under IPC during the recent elections, but decided to go it alone and the results are there for everyone to see.

DP as a party is divided and some sections of the party are baying for his blood. They are openly ploting to dump him. Afterall all the DP mps elected to parliament are the ones who did not support his presidency. The ones who did flopped at the ballot box.

Mayor Lukwago seems to support Besigye more than his own party president.He has to shout at the top of his voice to sound relevant again, but only time will tell if DP continues to maintain him as their party president.

He has now pointed his cannons at the NRM who only a few years ago let him go free when he was cought with some USB sticks jam packed with a plot to form an alternative fighting force to kony's against the Uganda gvernment which he'd left at an internet cafe.

Mao comes with alot of baggage and is not the one who will bring change in uganda.It is fantastic to have big ideas, but without a constituency to support it, then it is just up in the air. Change will come to Uganda when the middle classes in Uganda finally get the appetite to protest, and as in Egypt and Tunisia, not under a recorgnised political party but a well sustained pressure group who are prepared to protest 24/7, rain or shine and not on monday and thursday mornings, while driving home in their gas guzzling 4 wheel drives in the evening. The majority of the middle class seem content for the momment and only moan about the inconvinience of the walk to work rioters. They have probaly seen the hipocrisy of the walk to work leaders.


To Ketty, Victor, Witty Kitty and probabily David
written by wodgot , May 21, 2011

Mao's not as desperate in politics as opposed to Museveni. Museveni had to resort to Bush war after 1980 general election. He had only got 0.001% of the total votes and only one mp!.

Mao got 3% but with a handful of Mps in the current Parliament despite State managed irregularities. Why do you think he didn't resort to bush war?

You talked of Mao being jobless, do you know what an advocate does in a law firm? Mao has never failed in politics as an MP and LC V respectively, he's moved on successfully from one stage to another, and giving opportunities for other ugandans to explore. I have always liken Museveni to a wild mushroom, which if not uprooted, is most likely to rot in its position.

Yes, I absolutely concur with Mao when he questions the legitimacy of NRM gov't. Museveni was not meant to go for a fourth term in the first place, we all know there was nothing called fourth term in the Constitution of Uganda.

Why don't you stop digging your heads in the sand by pretending that you won election.This election was flawed and conducted unlawfully by the army.Even the electroral commission was fradulently constituted by Museveni himself.

I have always chosen to starve than to serve under a corrupt system.

Witty Kitty, there's nothing good in this gov't and don't expect me to praise it. I am ready to die of hunger than earn a living by praising your hopeless gov't.


MAO IS AT PAINS TO REJUVENATE HIMSELF.
written by DAVID , May 21, 2011

Due to the triumph of the Ssuubi advocates who were under the IPC consortium, particularly those in DP, Mao was left with no option but only to undertake a reinvention strategy aimed at renewing himself in the face of the demoralised DP supporters who were now looking at Lukwago to redeem their once prosperous party.

Mao is just paranoid that these now deployed Ssuubi elements (in the parliament and local councils) can with the promotion of the FDC undertake a coup against his DP leadership and take the limelight from him.

So the decision of Mao to go into this W2W nonsense isn't from the bottom of his heart but its rather aimed at tactfully neutralising the influence of the triumphant Ssuubi clique of DP that is almost fused with the FDC which is spearheading this futile project.

Had Mao taken a back seat in the on going project, then Lukwago Erias who's almost the de-facto Ssuubi leader would have been prominent and now since he has decided to be active, the latter has instead taken a luckluster attitude in the project.

Since he's on the hot-chair(read 'katebe') for the next five years, Mao's political admirers should brace to see him being oftenly hounded in the police vans or on the back of the police pick-up trucks because he'll mostly be preoccupied in the illegal city demonstrations and or riots.

This is because he's jobless as he can nolonger be the Head Prefect at Namilyango, MUK Guild president, MP of Gulu Municipality, LCV Chairman Gulu District, and not forgetting the decisive defeat he endured at the presidential polls.


Mao is ordinary, no need to defend
written by Ketty , May 21, 2011

Politically, Mao is a lightweight, actually a featherweight. Pictures were published with Museveni cheek to cheek in Gulu. Main times Mao admitted his admiration of Museveni as president.

Mao is someone who could be said to be power hungry. Foucault wrote "Power is every where, yet nowhere". And people can only exercise power. This power has eluded Mao. He tried to beg for it, but it fled from him. Law firm or no law firm, Mao is finished politically. He can go defend criminals, even child abductors and sacrificers! but not to be a state president.


Why complain after defeat?
written by Ketty , May 21, 2011

Why would this supporter or PRO for Mao only invoke the so-called 4th term and constitution? If Mao was so popular country-wide, the people would have voted him to defeat a president of a fourth term.

It is only the unpopular, weak and the less liked leaders who pine about constitutional amendment. If a politician is very popular the fourth term president would be defeated. But Mao is very far from that, 1.86%. You can't start off as opportunist and the people fail to notice it in you.


You support because he has bought your conscience....laugh
written by cabril , May 21, 2011

What popularity are you talking about. With vote buying, no legitimate voters register and intimidation of voters, use of state resources>

You guys have no shame. Your only claim to support Museveni is your worry that your families and social status will dwindle when he leaves power. Am sure he may even want to leave. But the likes of these sycophants won't let him go.

Do you want him to first become senile so thaat he leaves. You have a sycophantic electoral commission with appointees of one of the candidates and you sit on your baking stools louding such an election. Don't chide yourself too much.

We shall continue struggling and expose your impunity to the rural folk who didn't know what you really do. Slowly by slowly, they will start seeing what we see. Mao is just one of the many who saw through your veil very early.

He is too brilliant to be confused by your like. By the way whenever there is a state function at Kololo, there is payment for all those who are willing to go there. And you call that support. You haave impoverished the people of this country and maade them lose their self esteem by allowing them to sell their conscience for a day's meal.

Looking at them the other day fighting for rice at Kololo own state run Bukedde TV. What does that say to you. That they went there in support of Museveni. Well, we shall use all means to claim what is rightfully for Ugandans. We are definitely not sleeping.


To ketty
written by wodgot , May 22, 2011

Oppositions were not defeated, they were disenfranchised by the incumbent.The national voter registry used on the voting day had many names of opposition prospective voters deleted.After the voting, those names were reversed to appear as if nothing had happened!

You can't claim to be popular and at the same time use the army to intimidate and carry out the stuffing and pre-ticking of votes on your behave.

If mao is unpopular as you may think, why did he defeat the late Mayombo who was hand-picked by the president, to be the NRM flag bearer during their Campus days?

Why did he nearly bring Betty Bigombe's political ambition to an end?

The majority of Uganda are not happy with Museveni because they are living below poverty line.They are disgusted with NRM because corruption has now become the pillar of Gov't. Any Gov't that engages in an endless amendments of the Counstitution, depicts corruption and lack of respect for the people.

Look at what's been happening in SPAIN;people are demonstrating, but the gov't still treats them and their leaders with respect! why can't that happen in Uganda?




2 QUERIES TO MR MAO
written by Banda , May 22, 2011

We have heard and understood Mr Nobert Mao’s views. Our simple questions to our friend Mr Mao are two-fold:

(1) May please know why you went to Joseph Kony, and glorified him by calling him Ladit (in Acholi meaning a very important person or V.I.P) and that he (Kony) gives peace to the Acholi?

(2) In what context did you respect and honour a criminal (Kony) who indiscriminately murders, abducts, cooks and maims innocent civilians in Acholi land?

Thank in advance for your response.