Freedom and Unity Front

Freedom and Unity Front
Chairman	Amii Omara-Otunnu
Founded	November 2013
Headquarters	Kampala, Uganda
Website
http://fuf-uganda.org/
Politics of Uganda Political parties Elections

Freedom and Unity Front is a political party in Uganda. The party is led by former General David Sejusa, and opposed President Yoweri Museveni over allegations of corruption and nepotism. It is officially headed by Amii Omara-Otunnu.

History

While Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni government's has also been accused of harassment towards the opposition, a referendum in 2005, opposition parties were re-legalised.

The week following former General David Sejusa's departure as a MP representing the military, he noted that "no one should imagine that Museveni will be removed through elections." He had further called upon Ugandans to "build alternative capacity" by choosing another leader. He also accused Museveni of subverting the East African Community by marginalising the leaders of Burundi and Tanzania by not inviting them for the body's summits. Sejusa accused Museveni of not only starting the M23 rebellion by militarising the rebels, including offering financial aid, but acting like a "chameleon" in "want[ing] to bring peace." Sejusa had called on Ugandans to "start a new process of national healing" with the removal of Museveni, that electoral politics under Museveni would yield no change and that though violence would not be initiated it could be used as "self defence." In May 2013, Sejusa, a former fighter in the rebellion that brought Museveni to power after the ouster of Milton Obote, had a rift with the establishment when he was embroiled in a row about Museveni's son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, over allegations of nepotism and that he would eventually simply replace his father as president. Kainerugaba denied the allegations, while his father was mum on his future plans. In the second half of 2013, Museveni issued a challenge to Sejusa to bring about a change in government, but also added that he would not tolerate violence as a means to that end. In turn, Sejusa responded to questions of whether he would use force to bring change and said: "It's not so much that we want to do so. But if he continues to unleash terror on the population ours will be self defence."

The party was then formed with the amalgamation of Free Uganda (FU), Citizens in the Defense of the Constitution (CDC) and other organisations in November 2013 by the Uhuru Declaration that was signed by the party's Publicity Secretary Vincent Magombe. An official announcement was later made in London, United Kingdom, where Sejusa is in exile. Sejusa criticised Museveni and called for "a new process of national healing" and that the party was an attempt at organising so as to "establishing a constitutional rule which he destroyed." Yet he denied seeking the presidency for himself as it was "a waste of time" to run against Museveni within the structures of the current system. In a related measure, former three-time presidential candidate Colonel Kizza Besigye also said "whether united or not, you cannot dislodge Museveni through an election he [Museveni] organises, supervises and controls," due its status as a military government. Instead he suggested civil disobedience would be more effective in bringing about regime change.

Issues

According to the party, important issues are: tackling what it sees as a decrease in "human rights," particularly a rise in extrajudicial killings; an alleged "selective justice" on the part of the government; a lack of accountability, transparency and prevalent corruption; and a decrease in civil society organisaions in the immediate preceding years. On 14 December, the party launched its first manifesto.

Leadership

The party's chairman is Amii Omara-Otunnu. Former General David Sejusa is also a party leader. The Publicity Secretary is Vincent Magombe.