No votes, no cabinet posts - Museveni
Tabu Butagira & Warom Felix Okello
Kampala/ Arua
President Museveni has hinted that he was looking towards the 2011 presidential election in naming his cabinet by rewarding areas that voted overwhelmingly for him in 2006 and sidelining those that didnt.
Speaking in Arua on Monday, shortly after releasing the new line up, Mr Museveni said he could not reward those who voted against him or the ruling NRM party.
The choice of venue to declare his inner feeling was curious - West Nile that has consistently voted against the President, and most recently in the 2006 general elections.
NEW FINANCE MINISTER: Syda Bbumba.
If you vote for Besigye, you will have voted for a civil war. It is not a joking matter but a serious thing that you vote for NRM so that your area is developed, he said.
Now you bring for me MP Kassiano Wadri, (FDC; Terego) and MP Akbar Godi, (FDC; Arua Municipality). What can I do with them? Museveni asked the crowd without mincing words.
Mr Musevenis statements were a veiled warning to areas that traditionally support the opposition that they would be left to pick the crumbs as the rest of the country, that votes for him in 2011, eats the cake. Mr Museveni has already declared that he will stand for president if nominated by NRM as party flagbearer.
The new cabinet line up indicates an increased representation from the eastern region, followed by the west and central with the north maintaining traditionally smaller representation.
But Makerere University political science lecturer Ndebeesa Mwambutsya says the reshuffle exposes Mr Musevenis narrowed management style of excluding opponents and rewarding loyalists.
An analysis of the Monday appointments shows that the Presidents home region western Uganda obtained 34 per cent of the ministerial allocations, eastern took 32.9 per cent, the populous central region 22.9 per cent while north got 11.4 per cent.
In 2006, Mr Museveni garnered 59.3 per cent of the national vote, most of them counted in the western and central regions while the north and east massively voted for his main challenger and Forum for Democratic Change party flag bearer, Dr Kizza Besigye, who polled overall 37.4 per cent of the total ballots.
In Arua, Mr Museveni told residents that the biggest chunk of the beef would always go to areas that voted overwhelmingly for him.
If you give me 20 per cent of votes and another area gives me 90 per cent votes, then I will automatically consider the [region that offers] higher votes, he said.
True to his word, West Nile region that overwhelmingly voted for the opposition in the last election never got any full cabinet slot, but only retained its five state ministers.
Ten of the Cabinet ministers are from Western Uganda; two from the north, and eight, including Vice President Gilbert Bukenya and Prime Minister, Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, are from central.
Tabu Butagira & Warom Felix Okello
Kampala/ Arua
President Museveni has hinted that he was looking towards the 2011 presidential election in naming his cabinet by rewarding areas that voted overwhelmingly for him in 2006 and sidelining those that didnt.
Speaking in Arua on Monday, shortly after releasing the new line up, Mr Museveni said he could not reward those who voted against him or the ruling NRM party.
The choice of venue to declare his inner feeling was curious - West Nile that has consistently voted against the President, and most recently in the 2006 general elections.
NEW FINANCE MINISTER: Syda Bbumba.
If you vote for Besigye, you will have voted for a civil war. It is not a joking matter but a serious thing that you vote for NRM so that your area is developed, he said.
Now you bring for me MP Kassiano Wadri, (FDC; Terego) and MP Akbar Godi, (FDC; Arua Municipality). What can I do with them? Museveni asked the crowd without mincing words.
Mr Musevenis statements were a veiled warning to areas that traditionally support the opposition that they would be left to pick the crumbs as the rest of the country, that votes for him in 2011, eats the cake. Mr Museveni has already declared that he will stand for president if nominated by NRM as party flagbearer.
The new cabinet line up indicates an increased representation from the eastern region, followed by the west and central with the north maintaining traditionally smaller representation.
But Makerere University political science lecturer Ndebeesa Mwambutsya says the reshuffle exposes Mr Musevenis narrowed management style of excluding opponents and rewarding loyalists.
An analysis of the Monday appointments shows that the Presidents home region western Uganda obtained 34 per cent of the ministerial allocations, eastern took 32.9 per cent, the populous central region 22.9 per cent while north got 11.4 per cent.
In 2006, Mr Museveni garnered 59.3 per cent of the national vote, most of them counted in the western and central regions while the north and east massively voted for his main challenger and Forum for Democratic Change party flag bearer, Dr Kizza Besigye, who polled overall 37.4 per cent of the total ballots.
In Arua, Mr Museveni told residents that the biggest chunk of the beef would always go to areas that voted overwhelmingly for him.
If you give me 20 per cent of votes and another area gives me 90 per cent votes, then I will automatically consider the [region that offers] higher votes, he said.
True to his word, West Nile region that overwhelmingly voted for the opposition in the last election never got any full cabinet slot, but only retained its five state ministers.
Ten of the Cabinet ministers are from Western Uganda; two from the north, and eight, including Vice President Gilbert Bukenya and Prime Minister, Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, are from central.
