KAMPALA – As the countdown to the November 21 National Dialogue launch comes closer, the Democratic Party has vowed not to take part in any activities connected to the dialogue due to what they call a non-conducive environment.
While addressing the press at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala on Tuesday, Norbert Mao, the party president stressed that his party will not attend the launch of the dialogue despite their belief that it can be important if organized in a conducive environment.
He said DP are the authors of dialogues in Uganda and strongly believe in them but the current one is organized for government benefit instead of national benefit.
President Museveni will officially launch the Uganda National Dialogue Process on November 21 and the launch will focus on three outcomes.
It will formally adopt the Uganda National Dialogue process framework paper, which sets out the agenda and modalities for the dialogue; thematic working groups will be set up will focus on the agreed dialogue agenda themes; and lastly, it will authorize the planned formal nation-wide citizens’ consultations to take place in all the sub-regions of the country.
However, according to Mr. Mao, the way it has been prepared is not satisfactory due to what he calls continued oppression of opposition members by state agents, insecurity and failure of government to tackle unemployment issues among others.
“We shall in the future reconsider our position but this time the Democratic Party is not attending. Continued threats by security agencies, despotic tendencies by president Museveni to achieve life presidency, increased insecurity make the environment not suitable for the dialogue to take place,” Mr. Mao added.
