I write to congratulate not Dr Kizza Besigye for his nomination, but a team of eminent Ugandan political mid-wives including Professors Dani Nabudere, Frederic Jjuuko, John Jean Barya and retired Bishop Balagadde Ssekadde who brokered the deal that persuaded the other IPC presidential contenders; Hussein Kyanjo of Jeema, CP's Prof James Kigongo and SDP's Michael Mabikke offer to support Dr Besigye. The individual IPC leaders deserve nothing less. (IPC endorses Besigye for third battle with Museveni, (Daily Monitor, September 1). Why?

I have known Dr Warren Kizza Besigye for the past 12 years. Since then, he has consistently and selflessly worked to unite all dissenting democratic views around a common platform towards the next step in the political development of our country. Consider this genesis. In 1998, Dr Besigye noticed that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) was diverting from its original objectives and approached his former comrades-in-arms in the bush-war including the then Brigadiers Eriya Kategaya, Nuwe Amanya Mushega, Jim Muhwezi and others.

He asked them to use their seniority in the NRM and government to form a nucleus for internal change aimed at restoring the NRM to its original path of real democracy, lasting peace and sustainable development in Uganda. They flatly refused, arguing that President Museveni was going to step down before the 2011 elections, anyway. I wish I could say the rest is now history. In 2000, three months before the 2001 elections, Dr Besigye announced his decision to stand against President Museveni. Without prior structures or funds, he launched a spirited campaign that galvanised public quest for change throughout Uganda from the north to the east, south and west.

He won 29 per cent of the vote share despite relentless intimidation and harassment by the government. In 2001, while in exile in South Africa, Dr Besigye launched the Reform Agenda (RA) that sought to bring change through a peaceful evolutionary process rather than violent revolution. Dr Besigye's vision was for a gradual removal of the army from our body politics. He argued, and many people agreed, that there was not a Ugandan dead or alive who had not been touched by the tragic policies of military-backed governments since independence in 1962.

In August 20001, Dr Besigye gave me my first appointment as one of the 11-member Alliance Committee that was charged with the responsibility of sounding and forming alliances with other opposition parties and individual dissenting voices. The idea was to create a powerful opposition in preparation for the 2006 elections. In 2002, Dr Besigye travelled to Lusaka, Zambia, and met the UPC founder leader and former president Dr Aplolo Milton Obote. If Milton were alive today, the UPC would not have pulled out of the IPC last week. Dr Henry Opiote, Dr Obote's personal assistant and physician to the end, will testify to that.

After two years of intense negotiations, the IPC elected Kizza Besigye to be their joint flag-bearer in the 2011 elections. Granted, he may not defeat President Museveni and hand power to the IPC in six month's time but the IPC and all democratic forces will benefit from his political experience at home and international contacts. It has taken over 300 years for Britain and other western countries to achieve their present level of democracy which is still far from perfect. When ours finally comes, the history of democracy in Uganda will be a fraud if it fails to acknowledge Dr Besigye's role starting in the 1980. That was what the IPC did when they endorsed him as their flag-bearer. Bravo IPC.

The writer is FDC International envoy to the United Kingdom