Patrick Jaramogi
26 November 2008
Kampala — THE Uganda People's Congress (UPC) party will field its own candidates for all election posts despite the inter-party cooperation, party president Miria Kalule Obote has said.
Speaking at the party's weekly press briefing at Uganda House in Kampala, Miria said the decision was reached at the UPC delegates' conference that was held at Namboole stadium last week.
"We welcomed the establishment of the inter-party cooperation and accept the protocol entered into by our leaders. We urge them to continue, but UPC will maintain its identity," she said.
Flanked by Chris Opoka Okumu, the assistant national chairman, Miria said the party had embarked on a countrywide recruitment drive and resource mobilisation.
"During campaigns, we shall not speak on behalf of other parties. We shall speak as UPC and that is why we didn't field a candidate for the Kyadondo North by-elections," she said.
She said the delegates conference decided that the party grassroots elections be held in preparation for the next UPC general elections.
Miria criticised the people who, she said, had tried to derail the purpose of the delegates' conference.
"The conference was called to adopt the new party constitution but some few elements tried to hijack the event to cause a stir against the party president. The delegates were wise and ignored them," she said.
At the signing of the inter-party cooperation agreement, Maria said the unity was a power house to win the 2011 polls.
Inter-party co-operations have a history of being unsuccessful in the country. The DP and UPC coalition in the 1980 polls did not last after an uprising.
In the 1996 election, parties united under the Inter-Party Forces Co-operation but did not trounce Museveni, who got 76% of the votes. In the 2001 election, DP, CP and FDC came together but still lost.
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