Political change in Uganda will not come through elections and will have to be negotiated, Constitutional Affairs minister, Nobert Mao has said.

Mao, who also doubles as the Democratic Party (DP) president, challenged the country’s opposition to get onto the negotiation table with President Museveni who has been in power for 37 years to spearhead the process of peacefully handing over power. Mao made the remarks while at the DP grassroots mobilization drives in Jinja city over the weekend.

Mao further says that while other opposition counterparts are materializing on the electoral processes, his party DP is participating in negotiations, which if their voices are well heard, will culminate into sustainable power change for the benefit of all Ugandans.

“Change is not going to come only through elections, change will be negotiated. And to negotiate, you must be at the table but it is not enough to be at the table, you must have a voice. It is not even enough to have a voice, that voice must be heard. That is our challenge as DP,” said Mao.

He pointed out that Uganda has never experienced any peaceful change of power, with each transition resulting in bloodshed, which overly retards the country’s progression. He noted that it is high Museveni creates a deviation from the past trends set by his predecessors.

He stressed that Museveni boasts of spearheading the country’s economic transformation in different aspects of life, which can be easily edified by the youthful generation if he at all moots for peaceful power transfer.
Mao noted that Ugandans are celebrating the prevailing stability in the country, however, they are equally yearning for a peaceful change of leadership, which Museveni can willingly superintend over, not only to consolidate his legacy for future generations but also to safeguard the country’s skyrocketing development endeavors under his stewardship.