PEOPLES VOICE

U.P.C. - Uganda President Speaks Up:
BY EVELYN LIRRI, MONITOR - KAMPALA

UGANDA Peoples Congress has criticised former Samia Bugwe North member of Parliament Aggrey Awori for describing the party as a family business.
Addressing the weekly press briefing in Kampala yesterday, UPC party President Miria Obote said the party had not ‘died’ as Mr Awori would like many people to believe.

“We are still very much alive and doing everything possible to rebuild UPC into a strong vibrant party. This is one of the issues we are addressing in our five-year strategic plan that we launched recently,’’ she said.

“UPC is not a family business and we have never been a tribal party. The party executive in the 1960’s embraced everyone from all over Uganda. For Awori to say UPC is a family party is regrettable.’’

Awori joins NRM
Mr Awori, a former staunch member of the UPC, recently crossed to the ruling National Resistance Movement.
Media reports on Wednesday quoted Mr Awori as saying he had quit UPC because the party had been turned into a family business and was a dead party whose supporters have failed to recruit more members into it.
Ms Obote said if UPC was a family party, delegates from all over the country would not have elected her to lead it.

“The late president Milton Obote did not leave a will behind which said I should take over from him. I stood for the presidency of the party and was democratically elected by the people. Is that what Awori calls a family affair? Ms Obote asked.

UPC party vice president Livingstone Okello Okello said in the new multiparty political dispensation, people are at liberty to move from one political party to another.
“People can move from one party to another, especially those who do not have principles and a reputation to protect. But when you leave, do not tarnish the name of your former party because you might one day return to it,’’ he said.

Mr Okello Okello said he was surprised that it took Mr Awori close to 30 years to realise that UPC was a dead party.

“Dead parties do not address press conferences every Wednesday and also participate in general elections,’’ he said.

- Monitor, March 29, 2007