The People’s Front for Transition (PFT), a new pressure group headed by Dr. Kizza Besigye has clarified why the leading opposition political party, the National Unity Platform (NUP) is not part of the group.
Last week, a section of opposition politicians launched the PFT, saying it will be a new front to be used to oust President Museveni from power before 2026.
The pressure group has the Joint consultative council as the top most structure to which every participating entity has five representatives.
The representatives are members from all political parties, except NUP which is the biggest opposition party.
After facing criticism from the public, the pressure group came out and spoke to the media in Kampala to continue shading light why some political parties were left out.
According to Besigye, NUP was not decisive about joining the front after consultations with its members.
Besigye maintained that the front does not intend to carry out any actions without other forces of change, calling on others to join the platform.
He explained that he was surprised that among those attacking the new organization are people belonging NUP, adding that since the Front was formerly launched, he has been seeing responses that are not in line with the facts regarding their new vehicle against Museveni.
“’We must discuss the crisis in the country, not who should lead the struggle. The debate should be about the crisis Uganda faces. My view is that we need a grand reset – we must have a Transition from this chaotic junta and restructure the country to go ahead,” he said.
He said NUP president Kyagulanyi Robert Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine sent him a message expressing concern about the hostile response coming from NUP supporters accusing the front of being an affront against NUP and Kyagulanyi himself.
Besigye said the intension of the front is not to act without all other changing seeking people, adding that before announcing the formation, they intensely engaged all actors including those in NUP.
“I personally engaged them in great detail and the top leaders were very receptive of what we are doing and showed enthusiasm to be part of this but later I think when they engaged their other colleagues, they developed second thoughts,” said Besigye.
Besigye said that their efforts of engaging with all the stakeholders are still on going so that everybody recognizes the deep crisis that he said the country is into.
NUP spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi however said that the party was not invited to be part of the People’s Front for Transition (PFT).
Ssenyonyi noted that as a party, they have no issues with the new front and that they could be part of it in purpose, other than in writing.
“Any effort to the struggle is welcome, we don’t have to be part of the new group in writing, we should be united in purpose,” Ssenyonyi said.
