11 March 2008
Kampala — THE Government can save LRA leader Joseph Kony and his co-accused from prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC), President Yoweri Museveni said yesterday.
"We can save him because we are the ones who sought assistance from the ICC," said the President who was addressing journalists at the Commonwealth Secretariat at Marlborough House in London.
"Because he was not under our jurisdiction, we sought assistance from the ICC. If he signs the peace agreement and returns to our jurisdiction, it becomes our responsibility not any other party's, including the ICC."
Museveni, on a two-day working visit to the UK as the chairman of the Commonwealth, explained that the Government sought ICC's assistance because Kony had fled to the DR Congo.
The ICC intervened, Museveni added, in case of impunity or if governments are unable or unwilling to punish those involved in crimes against humanity. The situation in Uganda after the peace agreement will be different, Museveni said.
The President added that once the peace agreement was signed and Kony returned to Uganda, the Government would use the traditional justice system to enable the accused seek forgiveness from the victims.
Asked what would happen if the ICC refused to lift the indictment against Kony or before he is first handed over to the ICC, Museveni said: "I am not a lawyer. If such a situation arises, we shall consult the lawyers."
Earlier, according to a statement from State House, Museveni met senior staff at the Commonwealth Secretariat, led by outgoing Secretary General Don McKinnon.
McKinnon took the new chairman through the challenges ahead, including the hotspots like Kenya, Pakistan and Fiji.
Museveni urged young democracies in the Commonwealth to adapt constitutions that provide for total winner presidential systems.
He said under such arrangements, when no presidential candidate gets majority votes, there is a re-run.
"In Uganda, if none of the candidates scores 51%, then the Electoral Commission conducts a re-run," he explained.
Museveni hailed McKinnon's contribution to the Commonwealth and attributed Uganda's hosting of CHOGM last year to him.
The President noted that Uganda got publicity and more visitors and international conferences were being hosted in Uganda.
Meanwhile, meeting Commonwealth High Commissioners in London, the President said the strategic goals of the organisation in the next two years would be to transform societies and develop infrastructure.
Partial transformation of some societies in the Commonwealth, he said, was bad. "The organisation should be a Commonwealth not only of shared values but also of shared property," he said.
Museveni said the stimulus for social transformation was to add value to products, access to markets and increasing competitiveness.
On the situation in Kenya, the President told the High Commissioners that the Commonwealth would ensure that the power sharing agreement is implemented
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