Nairobi — Uganda's National Resistance Movement (NRM) will station 1.5 million agents and spend more than Ush8 billion ($4.3 million) in next year's elections to counter Kizza Besigye's Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).

Dr Besigye, who is remanded in Luzira Prison, was last week nominated in absentia and his team promptly launched a campaign to end President Yoweri Museveni's 20-year rule. The FDC leader returned to the country on October 26 from his self-imposed exile in South Africa.

NRM spokesman Ofwono Opondo told The EastAfrican that the party spent about Ush7.2 billion ($3.9 million) during the 2001 elections. "With more districts and more candidates [standing for parliament on the NRM ticket] we will spend more than that, he said. The elections are set for March 23 next year.

The Movement's financial muscle puts it at an advantage over other parties, as none has been able to marshal any significant cash support. Only the FDC seems to have money to enable it carry out a nationwide campaign, but even this is not expected to make much of a dent in the ruling party's arsenal. FDC treasurer Jack Sabiiti said the party's expenditure will not exceed Ush1 billion ($546,448).

The Democratic Party, which has nominated Kampala mayor Ssebaana Kizito, and Uganda People's Congress Party, which has named Miria Obote, widow of former president Milton Obote, as its flag bearer, are both cash-strapped and even struggled to raise funds for their delegates' conferences.

NRM general secretary Amama Mbabazi says the party had a surplus of Ush2 billion ($1.1 million) from its delegates' conference in November, which would be used in the campaign.

But for the FDC the most immediate concern is how to run a meaningful presidential campaign should it fail to get Dr Besigye acquitted or out on bail before polling day.

An attempt by the party to provide him with a fax machine at Luzira Prison was turned down by the prison's authorities.

The authorities are only allowing him to write letters which have to be screened before they are released, leaving the FDC with the challenge of keeping the public aware of his messages during the campaign period.

Although the Prisons Standing Orders and the Prisons Act do not explicitly bar him from using electronic communication gadgets, the authorities say that allowing him to use the facilities will mean making them available to all inmates.

According to a prison's official, Mary Kaddu, "He can't use computers because all inmates are treated the same way. But he can write letters, which we have to be censored before they are released."

"We are still working on the final plan," said Prof Morris Ogenga-Latigo, FDC second vice-chairman, "This is Dr Besigye's campaign as much as it is FDC's. The fact that we have a manifesto means that the issues are out there."

Prison authorities don't allow statements being made from prison, Chapaa Karuhanga, a top FDC official told The EastAfrican. "He is not allowed to sign statements from prison. But if they can allow people to sit for examinations while in prison, why should they stop Besigye? We are going to campaign because our agenda is with the people."

Last week, a letter written by Dr Besigye was read out to a crowd of supporters at the Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium shortly after he was nominated.

The party's national mobiliser, Maj-Gen Mugisha Muntu, said they were prepared to keep up the campaign until polling day in the event that Dr Besigye was not released by then.

The NRM on the other hand has unveiled a comprehensive strategy to be used during its campaign. It has come up with village committees of 30 members each as the nucleus of its nationwide campaign team.

The village committees then lead to parish committees, sub-county committees, and then district committees.

"We know we are going to win with a huge margin, honourably and credibly. We hope to win between 240 to 260 parliamentary seats," said Mr Opondo. Parliament will have about 320 members.

According to NRM strategists, by recruiting the 30-member committees per village, the party already has 1.5 million officials to help in its mobilisation at every level during the campaign.

"Uganda has 50,000 villages, and with 30 officials per village, we have 1.5 million officials. If each recruits three persons according to our '1 by 3 strategy,' then we have 4.5 million supporters already," said Mr Opondo.

The party's regional task forces are headed by Deputy Prime Minister Lt-Gen Moses Ali (Northern region), Vice President Prof Gilbert Bukenya (Central), Capt Mike Mukula (Eastern) and Brig Matayo Kyaligonza (Western).

As NRM consolidates its campaign strategy, the FDC is still at the planning stage. Dr Besigye's arrest on November 14 is the biggest loss the party has suffered so far. His absence has also heavily constrained the party executive, majority of whom are also sitting Members of Parliament, from mounting individual campaigns.

As a result, the party is forced to assemble non-MP big names such as the Secretary-General of the East African Community, Amanya Mushega, to campaign for Dr Besigye.

Other key personalities likely to be paraded to represent the jailed opposition leader are Suleiman Kiggundu, the party chairman and former Governor of the Bank of Uganda, Karuhanga, a presidential candidate in the 2001 elections, former Cabinet minister Richard Kaijuka, Dr Besigye's wife Winnie Byanyima, Lt-Gen Muntu, and former army commander and now EAC MP Eriya Kategaya. None of them will be campaigning to go to parliament.

However, the party hopes that Dr Besigye will be released from prison in time to conduct his campaign. Mr Karuhanga says the government was coming to the realisation that it cannot successfully prosecute Dr Besigye.

An Electoral Commission official said the law allows Dr Besigye to stand for election even while still in custody.

"In our constitution, you are innocent until proven guilty. If on polling day he is not yet convicted, then we are looking at the possibility of electing someone still in prison," said the Commission's legal officer, Frank Nyakaana.