By Controversies between Uganda’s ruling party and the opposition parties still carry on in regards to changing the Constitution, which the opposition parties came together to defend.
The struggle began a few months ago and as the results, many people, mostly the opposition parties’ members have been arrested for holding demonstrations against the age lifting bill.
The opposition members from different parties who now speak the same language of defending the Constitution, have their reasons why they don’t want it changed, just as the ruling party also has its.
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party members have come up to share their reasons as to why they prefer the Constitution changed, especially article (102b), that bars any person above the age of 75 from contesting for the presidential seat.
On Saturday, the NRM members informed that, their move to rush the lifting of the presidential age limit is to the fact that they don’t have a strong and formidable candidate that can contest along with Kizza Besigye, the strongest opposition leader in Uganda, in 2021.
In this case, Kizza Besigye becomes a great factor in the NRM decision – the party agreed to it.
Kizza Besigye was President Museveni’s personal physician during the struggle that brought Museveni to power, and so fought alongside him. He later became the fiercest and strongest opposition leader, and a threat to the NRM party.
Looking through themselves, the ruling party members realized that if it happens that the age limit is not lifted for Museveni to appear on the ballot paper in 2021, then it is an obvious pave way for Besigye, who is currently 61 years.
Therefore, the NRM party members decided to retain Museveni, for as long as Besigye is still eyeing the presidential seat.
“Do you really see anyone in the NRM who can stand and win that Besigye? Not the Prime Minister, Ruhakana Rugunda, not Otafiire Kahinda, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, not even Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni’s first son, can defeat him,” said a party official who is part of the group at the centre of calls to delete the age caps – reported by a local newspaper in Uganda.
Kizza Besigye has challenged Museveni for four times now, under his Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party. In 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016 presidential elections
President Museveni has led Uganda for 31 years now. According to the opposition parties, that period is long enough for him to have harvested enough from the country, which he now mistakes as his home, and wouldn’t have had problems stepping down.
Different people have occasionally advised Museveni to step down as a hero he is, than waiting until nobody can recognize him, neither give him the little respect that he still has.
However, none of what anybody says has shaken the 73 year old Museveni, as he is still firmly standing by his plans.
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Reporter: Shamilah Namuddu