By Dr. Kizza Besigye

7^th February 2011

Tarehe Sita, which falls on every 6^th of February, is an important day in the life of Ugandans. It is the day in 1981, that the first shot was fired by a group of young men who took the drastic step to rid Uganda of dictatorship after a rigged election result was imposed on the people of Uganda. Following that first shot thousands of Ugandans eventually joined the armed struggle that brought the NRA to power.

Thirty years today, the ideals for which huge risks were taken, have been forgotten by the NRM government. Uganda is still bedeviled with the same ills that sparked the action of Tarehe Sita. Elections continue to be rigged, often violently, and with the participation of soldiers who would otherwise be more conscious of the dangers of vote rigging.

To the soldiers who are celebrating Tarehe Sita this week, I have worn that uniform, and borne arms as an NRA and UPDF officer in the name of democracy. Do not dishonor the blood and memories of the 300,000 Ugandans who died in the resistance war. I appeal to you to desist from being used by interested parties to frustrate the electoral process. In a Democracy, the only system that guarantees sustainable peace and security, the army’s role is to guarantee the will of the people, not to subvert it.

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With only two weeks to the presidential and parliamentary elections, the biggest question on the minds of most Ugandans is not whether their candidates are capable of winning, but whether the elections will not be rigged. We have repeatedly warned the country that the Electoral Commission cannot be trusted to organize a free and fair election. Our victory will be achieved in spite of the efforts of the NRM and the Electoral Commission to rig, not because the process is free and fair.

Another question is whether there will not be post-election violence. We have all seen what has happened in Tunisia and Egypt. When governments deny people their right to choose who leads them and how they are governed, violence becomes inevitable. The government has criminalized the opposition, and denied peace loving citizens the right to demonstrate peacefully, and to express their displeasure at the way public affairs have been mismanaged in a civil manner.

Ugandans need to realize that it is not the opposition that will provoke violence. A government that takes away people’s freedoms invites violent protests. The opposition parties in Egypt only came out to support protesters, after the ordinary people who had borne oppression for 30 years decided that enough was enough. And what were their reasons? Lack of jobs, escalating goods prices, corruption, and poor service delivery. These are not the fault of the opposition.

I therefore repeat my pledge to announce our provisional results, and that if the election is rigged I will not go back to court. The struggle for change is not mine alone. It belongs to all our supporters across the country. If our victory is stolen it is to the court of public opinion that I will appeal.

I urge all Ugandans to do the following in order to avert the theft of the election: Be at the polling station before polling begins to witness that the ballot box is empty and genuine. Make sure that candidates’ agents are present when the polling begins. Look out for underage voters and politely but firmly point out those who you think should not be voting.

Remain at the polling station until voting ends, but stay at least 20 meters away from the presiding officer’s table as required by the law. Ensure you witness the counting of votes and the accuracy of the results that the presiding officer announces. If you are able to, follow the ballot boxes from the polling station to the district tally center. Ensure results announced by the district Returning Officer are correct.

Remain peaceful and law abiding but firm. Don’t sell your vote. Don’t be intimidated. Guard the votes. We will win. This shall be a stable and peaceful change.  END.  Please log into www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.

Dr. Kizza Besigye is the FDC President and IPC’s presidential candidate