Opposition, NRM Meet in Tanzania Over Walk-to-Work

nngu007 · 2011-05-10T12:30:56+00:00

* Sio wakati wetu na sisi watanzania tukutane na kusuluhisha tofauti zetu ka amani? Moses Mulondo 7 May 2011 THE National Resistance Movement (NRM) and opposition leaders have met in Tanzania to defuse the current political stalemate arising from the month-old walk-to-work campaign. The Dar-es-Salaam meet comes after four parties boycotted a meeting in Kampala on April 29 at Serena International Centre. Only the NRM and the Conservative Party (CP) turned up. Sunday Vision has, however, established that all the parties under the Inter-Party Forum for Dialogue (IPOD) were represented in the Tanzania meeting which started on Thursday and ended on Friday. Reports indicate that NRM was represented by Sale Kamba and chief whip Daudi Migereko. FDC sent Augustine Ruzindana while Omar Kalinge Nyago attended on behalf of JEEMA. Mathias Nsubuga represented the Democratic Party while the Uganda People's Congress sent Patrick Mwondha and Chris Opoka. "We are here to agree on how the IPOD members can work together in harmony after an acrimonious election," said one of the political leaders who preferred to remain anonymous. The other item on the agenda was how to solve the current economic crisis arising from the high fuel prices and food shortages which the opposition say triggered their walk-to-work campaign. The participants travelled aboard Kenya Airways on Wednesday, sponsored by the IPOD development partners among whom is the Netherlands Institute for Democracy. IPOD, an initiative of donors, is composed of all the parties represented in Parliament. Two weeks ago the President agreed to meet the opposition to discuss their concerns through IPOD Reports from Tanzania indicate the opposition insisted that the Government first fulfills their conditions before they enter dialogue with President Museveni. Last Friday UPC, DP and JEEMA issued a statement giving conditions for meeting the President for dialogue, which included having the meeting chaired by a neutral person, the need for Museveni to apologise to the nation over the way the security forces disperse protesters and the President to personally apologise to Dr. Kizza Besigye over the arrest. They also demanded the resignation of internal affairs minister Kirunda Kivejinja, Police Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura and the Kampala Metropolitan Regional Commander, Grace Turyagumanawe. The opposition parties also wants security operatives like Gilbert Arinaitwe, who smashed the window of Besigye's car, to be apprehended. But the Activists For Change (A4C), the leaders of walk-to-work, have rejected any kind of dialogue with Museveni, arguing that the Government should just act on their concerns. Muwanga Kivumbi, one of the architects of A4C, said: "There is nothing we can get from a meeting with Museveni, except a cup of tea, photo opportunities and maybe his usual lectures which are usually out of touch with reality." Kivumbi warned that any opposition leader who dares meet Museveni would be treated as a traitor. On Friday, both the opposition and Government sides in Parliament called for dialogue

Thread starter nngu007
Start date May 10, 2011

nngu007

JF-Expert Member

May 10, 2011

Byendangwero

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