UGANDA'S TRANSITION TO POLITICAL PLURALISM

EDM number 755 in 2004-05, proposed by Mike Hancock on 22/02/2005.

That this House welcomes the decision by President Museveni to lift the ban on political activities after 19 years; further welcomes the launch of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and the election of the exiled Dr Kizza Besigye as their national chairman and prospective presidential candidate in 2006; further welcomes the ongoing efforts by FDC to forge a wider coalition of opposition parties; believes that only a united opposition can provide a healthy and vibrant counterbalance; regrets the reported public flogging by Government soldiers of opposition MPs and the ongoing arrests and detention of FDC leaders and supporters; further regrets the plans by President Museveni to amend the constitution so that he can rule indefinitely; and now calls on Her Majesty's Government to redouble its bilateral and multilateral efforts with its EU partners to encourage the Ugandan authorities to co-operate with the opposition, to fund them, to create a level playing field, including the appointment of an independent Electoral Commission, and to allow the early and safe return from exile of Dr Besigye and other opposition leaders if the 2006 presidential and parliamentary elections are to be free and fair.

This motion has been signed by a total of 38 MPs.