LOP Statement in Reply to Second State of the Nation Address

STATEMENT IN REPLY TO THE STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BY H.E. YOWERI KAGUTA MUSEVENI, PRESIDENT OF THE REPULIC OF UGANDA, AT THE OPENING OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE 8TH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA, ON 7TH JUNE 2007


Rt. Hon. Speaker
Hon. Leader of Government Business
Hon. Members.
On the 7th day of June 2007, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President of Uganda, delivered the Annual State of the Nation Address that marked the commencement of the Second Session of this 8th Parliament. I am once again most privileged and honoured to formally respond to the President's address on behalf of the Opposition.

Before I do so, however, allow me, Hon. Speaker, to briefly address myself to three matters that we the Opposition consider important as we attempt to develop a viable multiparty Parliamentary tradition for our country.

Looking around the 8th Parliament, Hon. Members, besides the Clerk to Parliament who is a technical person, I see only four colleagues who were definitely in the last multiparty Parliament under the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) Obote II Regime, from 1980 to 1985. Two were members of the Opposition Democratic Party (DP). These are Hon. John B. Kawanga, from Masaka, now still in the Opposition, and Hon. Sam Kuteesa, who in 1980 roundly defeated Yoweri Museveni in Mbarara North Constituency (now Nyabushozi) but is now President Museveni's Foreign Affairs Minister. The other two were members of the governing party, UPC. These are Hon. Moses Apiliga, then Minister of Supplies, now in the Opposition, and Hon. Ephrahim Kamuntu, then Minister Plenipotentiary, now Minister of State for Industries.

On their own, the above five people are too few for us to rely upon to build the new multiparty culture in our Parliament. It is therefore what we do, how we do them, and what we agree to adopt that will define the practice and build a viable tradition of our multiparty Parliament for the foreseeable future. Hence, the need for us to address these three issues.

First is the matter of the Annual State of the Nation Address. Hon. Speaker, Article 101(1) of our Constitution provides that "The President shall, at the beginning of each session of Parliament, deliver to Parliament an address on the state of the nation". What concerns us, Hon. Members, is that, in all Commonwealth countries where this tradition is practiced, the state of the nation address is a highly formal affair. The address, like the Budget Speech, is delivered as prepared, and immediately published to enable the Opposition respond authoritatively. In our case, Hon. Speaker, where the prepared address is laced with extensive off-the-cuff remarks, and only part of the prepared text is actually read, immediately after delivery of the statement we are all left at a complete loss as to what to do next. Consequently, this year we wasted enormous time waiting for the official address to be published.

In our view, therefore, the delivery of that address should be made more formal and predictable, and should conform to the practice in other Commonwealth Parliaments that Rule 7 of our Rules of Procedure enjoins us to emulate.

The second matter, Rt. Hon. Speaker and Hon. Members, is the protocol that forms part of the State of the Nation Address and the delivery of the Budget Speech. On both occasions, Parliament sits formally. The presence of the President in the Chamber and his delivery of an address are in accordance with Rule 9 of our Rules of Procedure. The presence of His Lordship the Chief Justice in the Chamber, representing the third arm of the State, the Judiciary, is also an established tradition of our Parliament. These two have been appropriately recognized by the Speaker.

Beyond them, however, in spite of the fact that we operate in a bi-cameral multiparty Parliament, with one side of the House led by the Leader of Government Business and the other side by the Leader of the Opposition, the Chair seems to follow no fixed rules or order of precedence.

Last year, at the opening of the 8th Parliament, the Speaker did not even recognize the Leader of Opposition at the start of his Communication from the Chair, although the Hansard reported differently. We all put it down to a new beginning. Unfortunately, this year again, after recognizing the Leader of Government Business, the Chair proceeded to recognize the NRM Vice Chair, a stranger in the Gallery, and Hon. Ministers who are members of the House under the Leader of Government Business, b efore recognizing the Leader of Opposition, representing the other side of the House.

The situation has even been worse in the official receptions that followed these nationally important events. Last year, it took the intervention of H. E. the President, whom we greatly applaud for consistently following the right protocol, to get the Leader of Opposition to the Presidential Table. I and the Deputy Chief Justice had to sit, as if we were outcasts, at the sides of the Table. Her Lordship the Deputy Chief Justice has since abandoned the Official Reception to avoid the indignity and humiliation. After the Budget Speech this year, it was again arranged for me to sit as an outcast at the side of the table. Since the arrangement this time was deliberate, I politely declined to do so. That is why Members did not see me at the reception.

Hon. Members, what concerns us in the Opposition is that it is us, together with our leaders in Parliament, who must uphold the dignity of this August House and of all its Members, regardless of which side of the House we sit. Yet, since these unfortunate events, I have received no formal apologies or expressions of concern from the Office of the Speaker or the relevant Parliamentary department. If we cannot find support and protection in this August House, where do we turn to Hon. Members?

The third issue, Hon. Speaker, is the reaction of our colleagues on the Government side that have followed statements, such as this, that we make on the Floor of Parliament. Instead of formally rebutting our contributions with facts and counter arguments, quite often we hear some of our colleagues castigating us for always c riticizing Government without appreciating the good that it has done.

It is true that sometimes we very strongly criticize Government, but then that is the nature of the Opposition. If we did not see things differently from our colleagues, even those things that to them are achievements or "positive", we would certainly be redundant sitting on the Opposition side. In the same vein, when Government adopts our policies, such as compulsory UPE, it never heaps praises on the Opposition. We therefore urge our colleagues that, instead of sentiments, let us battle each other with facts and sound counter arguments as the best practice in our Parliament.

Turning now to the President's address to Parliament, allow me, Rt. Hon. Speaker, to congratulate H.E. the President for his State of the Nation Address. As always, we in the Opposition applaud and appreciate the relaxed and friendly manner by which the President delivers his address. Although it seemed to us that he was dealing with the handiwork of a new speechwriter, he still did quite well.

Hon Members, we also sincerely thank the President for his formal expression of condolences and sympathies to Parliament over the death of late Hon. Dr. Yefusa Okullo Epak and late Brigadier Noble Mayombo. Let me take this opportunity to express the Opposition's appreciation to the entire House and the country at large for the bi-partisan manner in which Parliament and the people handled the funerals of these two distinguished Ugandans.

Hon. Speaker, last year we the Opposition assured Ugandans that: "In Parliament, we shall play our roles, carry out our duties, exercise our responsibilities and make our contributions without fear or favour..". In the last Session, we lived by those commitments and, sometimes, we even bent over backwards to ensure harmony in our Parliament and country.

We therefore totally agree with, and warmly welcome, the President's opening remarks, on one year under a multiparty dispensation, that: "As it may be appreciated, building democracy is not a one time event or an assignment to which one would assign a life span of a couple of years".

Accordingly, we the Opposition once again assure the whole country that we are committed to the growth of democracy in our country, and that we will do whatever it takes, and make whatever sacrifices required of us, to ensure that we lay a firm foundation for the future generations to build on. To be able to do so as a country, however, we must urgently harmonize the contradictions in our understanding of what this process entails, as illustrated by the President's comments on politics, constitutionalism and the rule of law.

The Political Scene

On the political scene, Hon. Speaker, the last year was marred by various unexpected, brutal and shocking responses of the State to legitimate Opposition activities; the most important of which were the continued court harassment of members of the Opposition, including Members of this August House, using trumped up charges; the seize of the High Court by State security agents; unleashing of the illegal, stickwielding "Kiboko Squad" on innocent Ugandans; and the disruption of legitimate Opposition rallies and demonstrations by the Police and other state agents. These events generated grave concerns among Ugandans of goodwill and all our international friends, and they have greatly undermined the good name of our country internationally.

We the Opposition are deeply disappointed that the President chose to downplay these concerns, erroneously assuring us that the worries were misplaced and arguing instead that: "The only thing required of each category of actors is to be law abiding and be guided by the Constitution, because the political questions of Uganda were resolved in 1995 in the Constituent Assembly (CA)".

Rt. Hon. Speaker and Hon. Members, we beg to humbly disagree with the President on that assertion. To use his analogy of the drive from Kampala to Soroti, the roadmap to sound democratic practice were largely agreed upon and have been enshrined in our 1995 Constitution. However, how we travel the journey- i.e. the political questions of acceptable democratic practices- have not been resolved.

Instead, the NRM, now on the driving seat, is telling us Ugandans (like in Franz Fannon's book- The Wretched of the Earth) that we have no right to demand that they do not drive recklessly; or to request that we stop on the way for a break and to buy some muchomo or gonja. They have even removed an earlier agreement on regular change of drivers (the Presidential Term limits), that was our only guarantee that a tired and expired driver would not one day once again involve us in some major accident before the end of a journey!

Hon. Speaker, we would like to assert that, since our destiny is one in this journey of democracy and national development, dialogue and mutual respect are most critical. It is for this reason that the Opposition holds the deep conviction that having different views must never be taken as dissent under the constitution of any party that claims to be democratic. Similarly, while funding parties is important, and we will certainly support a bill to fund parties objectively and fairly, we strongly believe that genuine dialogue amongst parties will only be possible when the Inter-Party Forum provided for in the law is fully operationalised. We therefore urge the Government and the Electoral Commission to bring into full operation this important Forum.

The other matter in this regard is the urgent need for the NRM to break out of its "pseudo-revolutionary" and militarist time capsule, so as to fully fit into the new multiparty dispensation. Last year, Hon. Speaker, we strongly objected to the continued operations of the Kyankwanzi NRM Political School in its old form. We also later strongly objected to dressing District and Subcounty officials in military uniform in the name of preparing them to fight poverty under the NRM's "Bonna Bagaggawale" scheme. Surely, Hon. Members, poverty cannot be scared away by military fatigues, nor can we shot it away with AK 47s!

Hon. Speaker, this time around, maybe the folly of dressing up decent Honourable Members of Parliament in military uniform- and making them fumble with AK 47s, a manifest of the expired Communist military mindset- including our grandmothers such as the much loved and highly respected Hon. Namirembe Bitamazire, will awaken us all. The Opposition of course welcome consultations on restructuring the Institute to make it relevant to the new reality in our country.

Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law

Rt. Hon. Speaker and Hon. Members, on Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law, we also beg to humbly disagree with the President when he asserts that some leadersread the Opposition- are deliberately misleading ignorant Ugandans that the rights and freedoms enshrined in Chapter 4 of our Constitution are ABSOLUTE. We have never done so, and we are very clear on what the Constitution provides. We also know that under Article 17, "co-operation with lawful agencies" does not mean submission to irregular and arbitrary actions by state security agencies, lawful or otherwise.

What we do not accept is that, like our driver to Soroti, the Executive, including its agents such as the Inspector General of Police, interprets the law to suit its interests and to undermine ours. Where we differ, we must learn to respect each other, dialogue to find common grounds, or turn fairly to the Judiciary for arbitration. The might and violence Government wields against the Opposition are unsustainable, and only takes us back to the dark past.

Hon. Members, two statements on the above matter must also be brought to your attention. In the first, the President said that: "The few who know, cannot be forgiven for misleading the innocent majority who may not be all that knowledgeable and who need to be assisted to enjoy the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution, maximally"; while in the second he said that: "While government undertakes to continue protecting the freedom of the press, the law will take its course in all cases of inexcusable false reporting".

Rt. Hon. Speaker, knowing this Government, we are certain of what the President meant, but we submit that this threat is totally uncalled for. Our assurance to all is that, in the pursuit of justice for all and real freedom in our country, the Opposition will not be intimidated and, we believe, nor will the press and ordinary Ugandans. Hon. Speaker, on the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) under the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), we support and fully endorse Government's submission to the review process. As a matter of fact, the Opposition is formally represented in the process.

Picking from the President's statement, however, we feel constrained to caution that the Peer Review process must not be used to stifle honest criticism and advise from Ugandans and our friends in the international community. We are further constrained to advise that we must never bury our heads in the sand and find comfort and diversion in the history of the black people. Instead, we must squarely confront the reality that our democracy and governance systems remain wanting in structure and practice, and that acting objectively and in the spirit of mutual accommodation we can truly move our country forward.

Security

On security, Hon. Speaker, we agree with Government that there has been marked improvement in security since 2005, especially in Northern Uganda and Karamoja. We applaud and thank the Government, and particularly its mediation team in Juba led by Ndugu Ruhakana Rugunda, and also the Chief Mediator, Dr. Riek Machar, and the President and Government of Southern Sudan, the Special United Nations Envoy, retired President Joachim Chessano of Mozambique, the leaders and delegates of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), the international community, and all Ugandans who dedicated their energies to the peace process for the great progress made at the Juba Peace Talks between the Government of Uganda and the LRA.

Hon. Members, the peace dividend that we the Opposition advocated for, for so long, as we argued for dialogue has finally materialized, even when the peace is as yet temporary. Therefore, as before, we appeal to all stakeholders to end posturing, and to continue to give all in their power and remain one in the process in order to bring about permanent peace in our beloved country.

Hon. Members, we also thank the people of Karamoja for co-operating with the UPDF in the disarmament process. While some remnants of the cattle rustlers still raid neighbouring districts, we agree that the situation has also much improved. We however urge Government to urgently follow this success with medium and longerterm measures to consolidate the peace and bring further progress to the sub-region. Again, on this, we see no need for posturing or chest-thumping.

Economy

Hon. Speaker, in spite the apparent high GDP growth, the Economy remains this country's greatest challenge, particularly in the areas of availability of adequate power, development of the transport infrastructure and overcoming mass poverty. Yet it seems to us that this enormous challenge is lost on the NRM Government.

Hon. Members, we were most surprised that, in spite of the scandalous delays in construction of the Busunju-Hoima, Bugiri-Jinja, the Kampala Northern Bi-pass roads and many others when funds have been available, the President chose to say nothing about them. May be this is an admission of defeat after so many years of false promises.

On the power supply, particularly availability of electricity, the President is once again drawing Ugandans into false comfort when the situation is really bad, and will definitely deteriorate over the short-term. On hydropower dams, for instance, the President said that: ".construction of Bujagali and Karuma Power Stations has been pursued relentlessly and consistently. For Bujagali, all negotiations are almost completed and construction has started".

Hon. Members, while we definitely contest the above assertion, we are at least glad that the untenable pledge to build the two dams in 44 months has ended. For, even with availability of funds, we presently have no capacity or capability whatsoever to meet such a target.

Last year, Hon. Speaker, we specifically stated that: "Even when Government talks about building Karuma and Bujagali, serious consideration must be given to the availability and transportation of cement and steel. Do we have adequate cement in the country to supply both the building industry and the dams?...Surely is 44 months a practical and honest target?"

Hon. Members, even before we start building Bujagali, the challenge of availability of cement has caught up with us. As we speak now, traders line up for cement, and its price has rocketed from shs.18,500/= to shs.25,000/= per bag, and is still climbing. Cement being the main ingredient in dam construction, Ugandans must brace themselves for up to a 50 percent increase in the cost of constructing Bujagali Dam!

The other aspect of the dam construction is false optimism based on the availability of money of our own. As the road works we referred to above have demonstrated, over and above money, with corruption, lack of physical infrastructure, weak logistical capabilities, and hurried execution of projects to address reckless political promises, we have never prepared ourselves as a country for such huge projects.

So, for Bujagali Dam, Hon. Members, rather than ride on false optimism, Ugandans must brace themselves for a long and costly delay in its construction. As if already anticipating this long delay, newspapers recently reported the Industrial Promotions Services (IPS), the lead developer of the dam, as warning its contractor, Salini Construction Company, that it will suffer a monthly or annual fine of US $5 million for any delay in the dam construction!

Hon. Speaker, as we freely advised last year, instead of rushing to build two costly low capacity dams, Government should consider first building a single large dam even at Murchison Falls, with its 650 megawatts potential, or Ayago North with its 450 MW potential. This would buy us time to better prepare to build the smaller dams in a more cost-effective manner.

Hon. Members, on petroleum that the President referred to as "our petroleum", we are certainly happy and we also thank God that we have at last discovered commercially viable oil deposits in our country. We also thank the Government for the concerted efforts made to realize this, and fully lend our support to all measures intended to generate maximum benefits to our people from the petroleum. We nevertheless have very strong reservations and concerns on how the oil issue has been handled so far.

Firstly, we the Opposition do not mind the President claiming credit for the success in the oil discovery, for he truly deserves the credit. However, because we the Opposition have only remained watching as outsiders when visits are made to the oil sites or thanksgiving dinners are hosted for the oil discovery, and since nobody has ever bothered to formal brief us on the oil, we get the impression that the expression "our oil" used by the President is of a very narrow sense and limited to the President and elements in his Government, but did not encompass us all Ugandans.

Second is our alarm at the euphoria and excessive optimism generated by the very rosy picture painted by the President on prospects that the oil discovery hold for our country. Oil has never been the magic bullet of development. In stead, when not properly handled, it has turned out to be a real curse. Have we not seen long queues for fuel, electricity shortages, and dependence on foreign food imports in oil-rich Nigeria, and more recently even in Iran? What could become of us with our weak institutions, cronyism, high-level corruption, and grave neglect of agriculture?

Considering the above, Hon. Speaker, we the Opposition would like to counsel that, rather than rush to exploit the oil for short-term expedience, the decision on the way forward must be long-term, open, well-debated and national, and not just the preserve of a few. We advocate for a National Petroleum Development and Use Plan that will guarantee a transparent and fair sharing of benefits with the Oil Companies, and establish a broad balance in use, both short and long-term, and in benefits to all.

On the growth of the Economy, Hon. Speaker, we took keen note of the excitement shown by the President that a respectable GDP growth rate was registered last financial year in spite of ".the past mistakes of delaying Bujagali. and the high oil prices that were global..". This excitement was shared by the Minister of Finance Dr. Ezra Suruma in his Budget Speech, and by our colleagues on the Government side who gave the Minister a standing ovation after his speech.

Hon. Speaker, to us, the excitement was merely relief that the worst never happened. The good performance could not have been because of some correct policies. No, rather, it happened in spite of numerous failed policies of this Government.

The fact is that, over the last year, the country was greatly cushioned by the peace dividends that led to higher internal production, reduced wasteful expenditure, larger regional trade, and renewed investor confidence in our country's future. How much would we have achieved by now if only Government had listed to the Opposition's voice of reason on peaceful resolution of the conflicts in our country?

Hon. Members, looking at the energy situation, the economic infrastructure, the plight of the peasants in the country and what is in store for them under this Government, any excitement and wild optimism about the future of our economy, such as we recently witnessed, can only be described in the words of Allan Greenspan, the former Head of the USA Federal Reserve, as "irrational exuberance".

Hon. Speaker, contrary to what the President suggested, we the 'doubting Thomases' can never waver in our certainty about this Government's inability to deliver to the poor. Just consider the following exposition by the President on "Bonna Bagaggawale", and I quote: ".the Cabinet and the Movement Caucus have agreed on how we are going to change the lifestyle of the 68% of the households that were identified as still being in the subsistence agricultural sector..In the new budget we shall start with 30 families per Subcounty as models. In the next two years, much of the rural economy will be monetized and more factories will be built to process what is produced. Speed, speed is what we need".

Hon. Members, without further bothering to argue the merits of what the Government is recklessly promising, we can only advise the country, and particularly our peasants who are the targets here, not to place any more faith about their future in the hands of the NRM. For, while they urge for speed, realism, realism is what they truly lack!

Social Sector

Hon. Speaker, in the social sector, the Opposition would like to register their appreciation for all the progress so far made in the labour, education, and health subsectors. We however hold genuine concerns that we believe the country must address to ensure greater progress.

On the labour front, we once again reiterate our support for the legal reforms that have been undertaken to protect our workers. We however urge the Government to put in place more concrete policies and programmes to support the Ugandan workers in the Diaspora. We are particularly concerned about reports that some companies now exporting guards to Iraq have been fleecing these Ugandans. We urge for urgent action and stern measures to be taken against culprits.

On education, Hon. Speaker, last year we clearly stated that our education system must be designed and invested in, in an appropriately sequenced order that ensures effective human resource development. We also clearly outlined what we wish to see done for all levels of education in our country. Clearly, criticisms by us are genuine, and we make them in the best interest of the country.

Take UPE, for example, we are happy that Government is considering implementing compulsory UPE and holding parents responsible for ensuring school attendance by their children that we advocated for. We are however gravely concerned about the data presented to justify the success of UPE, particularly on what they mean and on their failure to accurately portray progress, or lack of it, in quality improvement.

For instance, if by June 2006, the total pupil population in primary schools was over 7 million and an average number of pupils per year-class was over 1 million, why must only 435,000 pupils register for the Primary Leaving Exams in 2007?

If at the inception of UPE in 1997 the teacher to pupil ration was 1:85 when the total pupil population in primary schools was 2.7 million, how come in 2006, with a pupil population of 7.225 million, the teacher to pupil ration is down to 1:48, a ratio that required a 4-fold increase in the number of teachers since 1997 and yet such increment never took place?

On the construction of polytechnics in every Subcounty that the President committed himself to during the 2001 Election, the President insists that the policy has not been abandoned, and he castigates the Opposition for false criticism. Yet, from 2001 to 2003, only 16 of the 900+ Subcounties got their polytechnics. If since 2003, nothing has been done at all, why must the Opposition not say that "nothing has been done at all"?

With this mindset, Hon. Speaker, why then must Ugandans complain when Kenyans, with their country's 900+ polytechnics and extensive investment in technical training, take up all technical jobs in our factories, the banks, hotels, construction, and floriculture industries at our expense?

Hon. Members, our other great concern is on how our Government has handled University education, in spite of it being the most important phase in human resource development. The President's statement on Busitema University is most telling on the matter, when he said that: "The creation of Busitema University was recently approved by Parliament thereby putting to rest the cry for a public university in the Eastern Region of the country". Nothing much else; just political expedience!

Hon. Members, we urge you to critically compare our education policies and strategies with those of our neighbour Rwanda, a country that also suffered years of national instability like us. It is instructive to note that in the June 25-July 1 2007 issue of the East African newspaper, Rwanda advertised for international consultants to help them establish their "Human Resources and Institutional Capacity Development Agency (HIDA)"! When will our country formulate a systematic response to our human resources development needs?

Hon. Speaker, in the area of health, the controversy over the use of DDT and other measures to eradicate mosquitoes and to control malaria have largely been settled, and we need to labour no more over it.

The Opposition understands the imperative of using DDT in the fight against malaria. However, we shall strongly defend the rights of those who, out of conviction, are opposed to the use of DDT. We also urge Government to address the question of losses, shortages and expiry of drugs in the National Medical Stores.

Corruption Hon. Speaker, corruption remains one of the greatest challenges facing our country. Although we have witnessed a number of arrests on the allegation of corruption, we in the Opposition remain unconvinced that Government is ready to act decisively on corruption. Our experiences so far, and the long winding explanations given by the President, have not helped matters. We even worry more when the President attempts to redefine corruption in the context of elections.

Hon. Members, while we support legitimate arrests made in the fight against corruption, the disjointed and bungled-up arrest of the former Ministers of Health suggested to Ugandans that Government was not one on the decision to carry out the arrests. At the end, the impression created was more of political persecution rather than a decisive fight against corruption. This in turn undermined people's faith in the institution of the Inspector General of Government that spearheaded the move.

Secondly, we know that as happened with the prosecution of those involved in the purchase of junk helicopters, certain individuals may be selectively excused. The whole prosecution process may also be bungled up. Certainly, we worry when suddenly the President talks about "championing the rule of law", letting investigations take place, and letting people defend themselves.

In all this, Hon. Members, we must caution the IGG. While she and her institution may be acting in good faith, they must avoid being maneuvered into the corner of public rejection. For then, like has happened to others, those who are now pushing her forward will disown her. Hon. Members, on corruption, we must not relax our guard.

The Public Service

On the public service, we welcome the increased budgetary allocation to address the pension arrears. We urge Government to consider the plight of the old pensioners. Old Second World War, Uganda Army and UPDF veterans who in 2001 sold their properties or borrowed money to register in Bombo Army headquarters are still crying out for support. These and the old teachers who pioneered education in our communities need special consideration.

Regional Co-operation

Hon. Speaker, we heartily welcome into our fold our brothers and sisters from Rwanda and Burundi whose countries were admitted into the East African Community at the last Summit of the Heads of State of East Africa in Kampala in June 2007. We also note with appreciation the recent progress in democracy and stability in the countries that neighbour us, and the role played by our troops in Somalia. The enhanced peace and trade benefit all of our peoples.

Work of Parliament

Hon. Speaker, allow me to also join H.E. the President in extending our appreciation to this Parliament for the good work done during its First Session. In this Second Session, we in the Opposition will continue to work closely with all our colleagues in order to further strengthen Parliament and address the needs of our people.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)

Hon. Speaker, even when the Opposition repeatedly made their position clear, it has persistently been suggested that we are opposed to the holding of CHOGM in our country. The President alluded to this when he said that: ".there have been some individuals and groups who have been working hard to see that CHOGM 2007 is not held in Uganda. They have not only come out with unfounded and malicious allegations but have all along been cynical about the ongoing preparations."

The truth of the matter is that we have been deeply concerned that, being the next host of CHOGM, our country must uphold the highest standards of democratic practice as laid out in the CHOGM Harare Declaration. This concern has been legitimate, given the unjustified suppression and oppression of the Opposition by Government.
Hon. Members, we have also been deeply concerned about our preparedness to host this Summit, not just physically, but also logistically and functionally. Such concerns cannot be cynicism. For instance, we made it clear to Government that it was not possible for the AYA Group, who were allocated Nakasero land, and the Saudi investor, who was allocated Shimoni School land, to build their hotels in time for the CHOGM meeting. Time has proven us right.

The matter of hotel space is even more worrying Hon. Members. The President in his address reported that we have increased hotel beds from 1,500 to 4,300 to meet the summit target of 4000. This would be well and good, except that it means that through expansion and the building of new hotels we recently added 2,800 beds to our hotel capacity. This is equivalent to adding 50 rooms to each of 56 existing hotels, or to building 28 new 100-bed hotels, 14 new 200-bed hotels or 7 new 400-bed hotels. Surely, where are these developments that we ordinary mortals do not see?

Hon. Members, what about transport and emergency response drills when the Summit is just three months away. Recently, at the East African Community Summit, just five Heads of State with small entourages caused a one-hour long traffic gridlock at the Conference Centre. Surely, what will happen when delegates from 53 countries descend on Kampala in November? Hon. Speaker, we raise these matters because we know that failure will bring collective national shame to all of us.

Finally as I end, allow me, Rt. Hon. Speaker and Hon. Members, to accept on behalf of the Opposition the President's assurance that his Government will not be "extremely repressive" after CHOGM. Our appeal to him, however, is that Government should not be repressive at all, 'mildly' or 'extremely', even when upholding and enforcing the rule of law during and after his Chairmanship of the Commonwealth Club of Nations. For, we are with him in asserting that: "As we move on let us all work together for a better Uganda today and tomorrow".

I thank you Rt. Hon. Speaker and Hon. Members. May the Almighty Bless Us All.

Prof. Morris W. Ogenga-Latigo MP
LEADER OF OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT.
24 July 2007.