Police block Moroto opposition meeting

SOURCE: THE DAILY MONITOR, 4 DECEMBER 2011

The police in Moroto on Friday deployed in the municipality blocked an opposition meeting that was due to end yesterday. The two-day Karamoja regional meeting by the Uganda Peoples Congress at the Rural Training Center, was supposed to have started on Friday.

The Moroto police spokesperson, Mr George Obia, confirmed the development, saying the UPC meeting was illegal because the Force had not been informed in time.
“They would have notified us a week before the meeting but they gave us the letter at the same time they were intending to hold the meeting which is not acceptable,” Mr Obia said.

However, UPC general Secretary John Odit and Mr David Pulkol who were expected to chair the meeting described the police’s action as unfortunate. The freedoms to associate, assemble and demonstrate peacefully are civil liberties spelt out, not only in the Constitution, but also in international instruments to which Uganda is a signatory.

Mr Odit said the purpose of the meeting was not to harm anybody but to meet and gather views from UPC leaders from the village level to the national executive council, including the former parliamentary candidates in the region.

He said the meetings have successfully been carried out in other parts of the country. “We have done meetings right from Bukedi region, Bugisu, Sebei without any disturbance. Why should the police block us at this moment in time,” he said.