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Another exclusive interview from the newly elected Buikwe South MP - Dr Lulume Bayigga. |
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Written by Our Editor
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Monday, 02 June 2008 23:53 |
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 A by-election for a member of parliament was held in Buikwe constituency, Uganda where an opposition member from the 50 -old year party, Democratic Party (DP), Dr. Lulume Bayiga emerged the winner. His election followed the annulment of Anthony Mukasa of the ruling NRM party to whom he had lost twice. But the court nullified Anthony Mukasa's win for bribing voters.
The Uganda Citizen has caught up with Dr. Lulume for an exclusive interview and below are excerpts in which he talks about the prospects for his constituency, his relationship with the ruling NRM among issues.
Dr. Lulume is born to Mr.William Lulume and the late Mary Lulume. He went to St. Paul Primary School in Nkokonjeru, Kyambogo College and Makerere University for a bachelors degree in Medicine and surgery. He is a co director at Nsambya General Clinic, a private health facility.
How did you manage to make it after two losses to Mukasa?
Answer: Vigilance. Unlike in the past, we were so vigilant this time because we had adequate man power. In the past the NRM has been using the corrupt Election Commission officers to steal our votes. They have been carrying pre ticked ballots which they stuff into the ballot boxes. This has greatly affected our performance in all the last elections. The election commission has actually been turning losers into winners. This time round we kept a keen eye and they could not steal the vote.
We had 100 polling stations at which we deployed our team of youths. We mobilised and trained our entire team of youths who manned the election.
Any other factors?
Answer: People have had enough of the NRM deceits. President Museveni and his team have deceived for twenty years without any meaningful deliverance of services. Police brutality is on the rise and we have no freedoms. We have woken up the masses and let them know that the government is there to serve them. Voters look at us as the best alternative. Museveni and almost his entire cabinet came with their old tricks of promising hot air (empty promises) thinking that our voters were in the old sleep, not this time. He was rejected. He came promising a new district. Do people eat districts?
Poverty is biting had. The cost of commodities is escalating. There is no deliberate effort by the NRM to uplift the living standards of the rural poor. People look at Museveni as a man planning to steal their land given the failed land bill he is pushing through. People are ready to work but have no jobs. One only has to look at the rotten infrastructure in the country. Museveni is not trusted by anyone any more. Voters can now confide in us to revert this situation.
How do you plan to uplift the standards of your people?
We want to strengthen the production of agricultural products because most of my people are peasants. The major income earner in my area is Vanilla but the government frustrated its production. I want to revive this and find better markets for the crop. What is happening now is that the crop costs low yet we know that it pays more on the world market.We shall strengthen the sensitisation of the masses about all this corrupt practices.
Why has the opposition been losing most of the elections?
Two factors have led to this. The NRM rigging machinery has been very strong. This has resulted into losers being declared winners. In Buikwe we went prepared for them and lucky enough we defeated them. A clear example- we found a cabinet minister with ticked ballot papers for Mukasa in a bush. We surrounded him and he failed to staff them into the ballot box.
On the other hand, some of our candidates have not been convincing enough.
After the ruling by the constitutional court - that police has no powers to stop rallies in the city. What does your party plan?
Massive campaigns. We organised the Clock tower rally on 7.05.2008 but the police refused to abide by the court ruling and disrupted the gathering. In fact many of our supporters were beaten and imprisoned for just expressing themselves. The NRM government has been blocking our path to democracy by using the police to bar our assemblies illegally. Simeo Nsubuga and Judith Nabakooba (police spokes person) have been very defensive of police actions to suppress us. But we pitty them because they are being used to do the dirty work for the government. In fact if these two people were in their normal senses, they would resign to take up jobs in the Democratic Party.
End
Published: 27.06.08
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