CROSSFIRE ARCHIVE: When Bobi Wine Said ‘Democracy Works’ and How Besigye Responded to Him

The Kayunga LCV byelection shocker has made some people remind National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi of statements he made in April 2019 to the effect that ‘democracy works,’ and that opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye should not say it doesn’t after running four times.

Then the Kyadondo East MP and leader of the People Power pressure group, Bobi Wine spoke at an event where Norbert Mao’s Democratic Party (DP) signed a unity agreement with Michael Mabikke’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Abed Bwanika’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Bobi Wine told Besigye that it didn’t make sense for him to say Uganda’s electoral democracy doesn’t work. Then, Besigye had run for presidency four times, losing to President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni, according to official results released by the Electoral Commission (EC).

“Don’t talk about democracy and stand four times and on the fifth time you say it doesn’t work, we believe it works,” he said.

The singer-turned-politician also dismissed Besigye’s argument that elections would not remove Museveni, insisting that his supporters should continue registering as voters.

“For a leader to say a vote can never oust Museveni without offering a solution is disappointing. We believe in democracy and it should not depend on us but on people,” said Bobi Wine.

“What politicians can not solve, the people of Uganda can solve, they should continue to register as voters.”

In response, Besigye would emphasize the need for political newcomers to learn from experienced leaders.

“The reason why we go to school is to learn from the experiences of others. Similarly, in politics, we go through many experiences that form a body of knowledge,” the seasoned politician said in an interview with NBS.

“It’s this knowledge that new politicians pick lessons from and learn. I will stop it at that.”

Bobi Wine went ahead and stood for president but lost.

Besigye has since formed the People’s Front for Transition (PFT) to push for the removal of Museveni through non-violent means, of which elections organized under the NRM regime are not part.

As Bobi Wine agonized over the Kayunga election shocker, some Ugandans have reminded the NUP leader of these statements.

Bobi Wine has since acknowledged that Museveni is pushing Ugandans to the wall and that there is need for an honest conversation on the way forward.