Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, January 24, 2004
53 parties in Uganda want talks with government
Fifty-three new unregistered political parties and organizations have formed a coalition protesting their exclusion from the on-going talks between the Ugandan government and multi-parties, reported official media on Friday.
Fifty-three new unregistered political parties and organizations have formed a coalition protesting their exclusion from the on-going talks between the Ugandan government and multi-parties, reported official media on Jan. 23.
The Ugandan government delegation held two preparatory talks with a total of 11 political parties this week on transition to pluralism in the east African country. Seven political parties were invited on Monday's talks and other 4 parties invited on Jan. 22.
Leaders of the New Parties Forum (NPF) Thursday held a press conference at National Theater Gardens in Kampala, referring to the current talks between the government and the political parties which they were not invited, as a fraudulent dialogue and a waste of taxpayers' money.
They said they would seek legal redress in the courts of law if the matter is not addressed.
"We strongly object to the arrangement and criteria used in selecting the seven parties coalition on behalf of the opposition for talks with the government," said a statement read by NPF co-ordinator Webster Lukwiya, who is the chairman of the People Initiative for Total Unification of Africa (Uganda Chapter).
Lawyer of NPF Amos Kisambira said that the NPF which consists of independent parties, was formed three weeks ago, adding that the parties had fulfilled their requirements according to the law and were awaiting their certificates of registration.
Present at the press conference were NPF vice-coordinator Sadam Bisase, who is chairman of the Congress Service Volunteers, and secretary general Fred Sematimba, who is president of Uganda People's Forum.