President Yoweri Museveni has described opposition politicians who claim
they also want to sit in the “chair” as gamblers who cannot solve Uganda’s
problems.
“When you want to try with leadership of a country, start from the district level then come up. Like Nobert Mao (one of the seven presidential candidates, ed) who tried at the district level and failed, Now he wants the whole country. This is not a game of gamblers,” Museveni said while addressing the press at the central region district of Rakai, Tuesday evening.
“These things of we also want to try the ‘chair’, if you want to sit in a chair go to a bar but this chair of the whole country needs a tried and tested leader. It needs a strong party that can solve Uganda’s problems,”
“NRM has done the most challenging tasks including winning a major war with only 27 fighters,” a cheerful Museveni said implying that the ruling party NRM has handled Uganda’s most thorny issues.
But the opposition has responded bitterly against Museveni’s referring to
them as gamblers saying that the president has been a failure who should step down for younger leaders.
Speaking on behalf of the opposition, Steven Bali Mugisha, an opposition spokesman, said that Museveni should not be voted into office again because he has failed the fight against corruption.
“The man has grown old and should go to his home and look after his children and grandchildren. He has failed to fight against corruption. It is unfair that he is calling us gamblers. We have better ideas than him to steer this country ahead” Mr. Bali Mugisha told reporters.
Bali Mugisha’s comments rebuff President Yoweri’s argument that despite a “succesful” fight against “diseases like polio, measles” as well as a new fight against malaria through the distribution of mosquito nets (…) the challenge now is on treatment where medical workers steal government drugs”.
President Yoweri Museveni who has been in power since 1986 is campaigning for a 4th term in Uganda. The elections are set to be held on February, 18th 2011.
