By M. Suleiman

28^th March 2011:- They looted the treasure of 600billion shillings to bribe voters; they stuffed thousands of ballot boxes; they disenfranchised millions of voters using the voters’ register; they orchestrated multiple voting in favour of Museveni; and they intimidated millions of opposition supporters.

Despite all these glaring irregularities, Kiggundu still congratulated his team for having stuffed the boxes perfectly.  Even after the discovery of stuffed ballot boxes during the Kampala Mayoral elections, Kiggundu kept his calm and averred that it was Dr. Besigye whom the police should investigate for showing the media pre-ticked ballot papers.

No doubt the opposition went into the elections well aware of the insurmountable impediments.  Kiggundu’s reappointment was steamrolled through parliament as was the approval of the controversial shs600b.  Although there were hopes of overwhelming the NRM’s rigging machinery, the opposition also knew that Museveni would not willingly vacate office.  In spite of all this, the opposition campaigned, spent energy and resources and put up a spirited fight. Why?

To begin with, like any mean, semi illiterate dictator, Museveni wanted a blank cheque; a situation where strong candidates boycott and then he puts together a few NRM cadres to masquerade as members of a competing opposition party.  By deciding to participate whole heartedly, the opposition gave a blow to that project.

The spirited opposition showing definitely shook the NRM camp.  That is why from day one, the entire NRM lost its mind and acted like wounded lions.  I believe that FDC’s objective was to expose for the last time how greedy and morally bankrupt Museveni and his NRM are.  The NRM fell nicely into the trap.  Money was thrown all over in broad day light to bribe voters.

When the opposition told voters to eat the ill-gotten money but vote against Museveni and his NRM, the regime lost its mind again and went on the rampage with ballot stuffing, voter register falsification, military intimidation, and disenfranchisement. It was uncontrolled and stupidly done; so much so that they even declared victory in Northern Uganda.

They run rough shod all over the country and unashamedly declared an unbelievable 68% in favour of Museveni.  The forgery left no doubt in the minds of many international Election Observers [who are usually guarded in their statements] that the elections couldn’t have been democratic.  That, as I said, must have been Besigye’s primary objective for participating in elections that he knew were flawed from the word go.

Now, as the ruling NRM is busy grooming cheats and morally bankrupt politicians, for the next phase of the struggle, it is important that the opposition replenishes its leadership stables.  As the Besigyes, the Sebanas, the Mulwanyamulis, the Latigos, and the Mushegas move towards retirement, it is important that they are replaced with a new generation of principled, courageous, patriotic and incorruptible leaders who will resuscitate our country.

Already, we have people like Lukwago, Ssemujju Nganda, Nandala Mafabi and Nombooze; to mention but a few.  This new generation of leaders must know where we came from, where we are, and where we as a country ought to be going.  We urge them not to rest until victory is achieved.

On the whole however, I think these elections helped us to sieve our country.  Through them, we were able to separate the opportunists and self seekers from the patriots.  The weak hearted ones fell for Museveni’s desperate and corrupt bribes; and we now know most of them.  When the time comes, we shall ask them which side they were on in 2006/6 and 2011.

But we also found out that for a few Ugandans who truly love Uganda, no amount of money could buy their loyalty to the wellbeing of Uganda.  The 2011 elections also served as a vehicle through which the masses got partial education about their civic rights and duties.  And as a result, they got fired up.

Indeed, after being overwhelmed by the rigging in the presidential and parliamentary elections, the masses resisted NRM rigging in the Kampala Mayoral elections.  They turned up bravery, refused to walk away in the face of State intimidation, and overwhelmed the NRM’s rigging machinery.

While the same did not happen in the presidential elections for Dr. Besigye, the entire world knows that Besigye won the 2011 presidential contest but Kiggundu declared Museveni as the winner.  And Museveni himself knows that it’s only Kiggundu’s declaration that handed him the keys to State House.

Indeed, I believe that when Museveni congratulated Lukwago as the “declared” winner, he didn’t do it because he is a democrat.  He did it as a subtle way of “demanding” that as the “declared” winner of the presidential contest, the country, and the opposition [which rejected his sham victory] in particular, should congratulate him as the “declared” winner.

No, I will not congratulate an election thief.  All the criminal credit is due to Badru Kiggundu.  END.  Please log into www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.