The National Unity Platform (NUP) has called on its supporters to actively participate in the country's electoral processes despite expressing dissatisfaction with the conduct of elections, saying boycotting the process would only weaken efforts to demand accountability and democratic reforms.
Speaking at the party headquarters, NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya described Uganda's elections as flawed but maintained that participation remains critical.
"It is a shame that we continue to have these kinds of elections, but we encourage all supporters and members of NUP to contest in these elections. If you do not participate, you cease to have a right to complain when things go wrong," Rubongoya said.
Rubongoya also commended Ugandans living abroad for what he described as their continued support for the party and victims of political persecution.
He thanked members of the Ugandan diaspora for organising protests against alleged human rights violations and for contributing towards the welfare of political prisoners, injured supporters and families of those who have died.
The NUP Secretary General further condemned what he termed as growing lawlessness in the country, citing the recent arrest of the party's Deputy President for the Central Region, Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, shortly after he was granted bail by the International Crimes Division of the High Court.
Rubongoya said party leaders had received information suggesting that Kivumbi could be re-arrested immediately after leaving court, creating anxiety during the bail proceedings.
He also expressed concern over the continued detention of opposition figures, including former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, saying such incidents reflect what he described as a declining respect for the rule of law.
Rubongoya further referenced the resignation of former Uganda Human Rights Commission Chairperson Maria Hajat Mwangadya, arguing that even officials previously associated with state institutions are not immune to the consequences of what he described as increasing lawlessness.
Quoting American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Rubongoya called for collective efforts to restore the rule of law and strengthen democratic governance.
"We either live together as brothers or perish together as fools. If we cannot work together to fight for the rule of law and democratization and a better country, we shall all end up facing the consequences of this continuing state of lawlessness," he said.
The remarks come as political parties continue preparing for the country's upcoming electoral activities, with the opposition maintaining calls for electoral reforms while encouraging supporters to remain engaged in the democratic process.
