PADER Even as peace returns to Acholi sub-region, Dr Kizza Besigye insists, that shouldnt be reason for the reelection of incumbent President Yoweri Museveni because he was a vocal advocate of war as opposed to peace talks.
Rallying a sub-region which has twice overwhelmingly voted for him, Besigye said this week that it was the religious leaders and donors that put pressure on Museveni to talk peace with the rebel LRA.
The war had become a business for NRM people. All the huge assets they have acquired are from the blood of Acholi; so, how can they turn around and say vote for us because there is peace? he asked.
In making this point, the IPC flag bearer was trying to undermine NRMs argument that the sub-region should vote for the ruling party this time round because it has restored peace after 20 years of a rebel insurgency which left thousands dead and displaced more than one million.
And indeed political pundits predict that the NRM could register modest political gains here because of the relative calm.
But Besigye, who adopted a hard stance and dwelt more on Musevenis failures, said the war should not have started in the first place had government not mismanaged the politics by marginalising the Acholi. When it started, he said, it should have ended quickly but because some people in government benefitted from it, they prolonged it.
Today, they are telling you to enter the bus (NRM party symbol). Do you know where it is coming from or where it is going? The owners of the bus are Museveni and his immediate family. These Okellos [Henry Oryem] are just touts, Besigye said at Mucwini, Kitgum.
Besigye claimed that Museveni had deliberately encouraged the Karimojong to raid the Acholi because they (the Acholi) had refused to support the NRM government.
Now he has also turned against the Karimojong and they are also crying because of the way he has mishandled the disarmament exercise, Besigye said in Kalongo, Agago district.
Besigye said Museveni was clutching at straws like ferrying people to his rallies and turning into a rapper having realised that his support had dwindled.
Rallying a sub-region which has twice overwhelmingly voted for him, Besigye said this week that it was the religious leaders and donors that put pressure on Museveni to talk peace with the rebel LRA.
The war had become a business for NRM people. All the huge assets they have acquired are from the blood of Acholi; so, how can they turn around and say vote for us because there is peace? he asked.
In making this point, the IPC flag bearer was trying to undermine NRMs argument that the sub-region should vote for the ruling party this time round because it has restored peace after 20 years of a rebel insurgency which left thousands dead and displaced more than one million.
And indeed political pundits predict that the NRM could register modest political gains here because of the relative calm.
But Besigye, who adopted a hard stance and dwelt more on Musevenis failures, said the war should not have started in the first place had government not mismanaged the politics by marginalising the Acholi. When it started, he said, it should have ended quickly but because some people in government benefitted from it, they prolonged it.
Today, they are telling you to enter the bus (NRM party symbol). Do you know where it is coming from or where it is going? The owners of the bus are Museveni and his immediate family. These Okellos [Henry Oryem] are just touts, Besigye said at Mucwini, Kitgum.
Besigye claimed that Museveni had deliberately encouraged the Karimojong to raid the Acholi because they (the Acholi) had refused to support the NRM government.
Now he has also turned against the Karimojong and they are also crying because of the way he has mishandled the disarmament exercise, Besigye said in Kalongo, Agago district.
Besigye said Museveni was clutching at straws like ferrying people to his rallies and turning into a rapper having realised that his support had dwindled.
