It is great that UPC has come out in the vanguard on this issue !! Thanks to the folks at the Secretariat.
As an aside: Should we address the UPC Party President as Mama Miria Obote or Namwandu Miria Obote ? Could either address be OK? (Could someone kindly pass these sentiments of mine to Brother Chris Opoka at the UPC Secretariat at home !!) Mitayo Potosi =========================================================== On 8/8/07, Edward Mulindwa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > * UGANDA PEOPLES CONGRESS * * NATIONAL SECRETARIAT* > * Plots-10 **Kampala** Road, **Uganda** House, **P.O. Box 37047** , ** > Kampala** Phone/Fax: +256-41- **236748* > > > *PRESS STATEMENT* > ** > * ** (**Embargoed for release at **11.00 am** **8th August > 2007**)* > ** > * * > * **TIME TO OPEN THE OIL DEBATE* > * * > * * > 1. The Uganda Peoples Congress expressed its concerns on the political > and economic management of oil resources on the 12th July 2006. > > 2. The UPC was and is still concerned about the oil exploration and > the production sharing agreement that the government entered into with > various oil prospecting companies. > > 3. It was our recommendation that a Uganda Petroleum Commission be > established to : > > (i) Study how oil is managed in other oil producing countries > and recommend policies to the government. > > (ii) Engage all citizens in open and constructive debate > pertaining to the exploration and management of oil revenues. > > (iii)Engage NEMA and other environmental bodies to study > the environmental impact of the oil exploration and avoid > environmental disasters being experienced by other oil > producing countries. > > 4. The NRM government has so far not heeded our advice. This intransigency > is beginning to yield adverse consequences both internally and externally. > > Ø Internally, the people within the affected districts are continuing > to agitate for a negotiated share of the prospective oil wealth in the face > of uncaring and unresponsive government. The people in these areas have been > tempted to resort to violence in order to settle land disputes especially > with persons outside the District and they believe that these "intruders" > are facilitated by the government as an advance team to occupy and exploit > the oil rich land. > > 5. The prospecting for oil has landed the country into an international > conflict with Democratic Republic of Congo which has led to a bloody > confrontation where lives have been lost. President Museveni has been > reported to have entered into a joint oil venture with Malaysian Prime > Minister without any policy and legislative frame work guiding him in terms > of contractual obligations. > > 6. The government as reported in the New Vision of 8th August 2007 claims > that they have a draft oil policy in the offing and that the policy > addresses several stages of exploration and managing oil resources. This > raises several questions: > > (i) Where is the draft oil policy if it exists? UPC > challenges the government to produce the draft policy. > > (ii) What policy guidelines are President Museveni and his > government currently following in explorations and managing of oil > resources? Who has been issuing licenses to the prospecting companies? > > (iii) What is the legal status of the current oil exploration > companies? > > 7. As long as there are no openly debated policies and legislations > regarding the prospecting for oil production, marketing of oil and the > sharing of oil revenues, there is bound to be economic, social and political > conflict resulting from the scramble for oil contracts. These tensions and > conflicts will not only engulf Uganda and prospecting companies who have > signed oil exploration without a proper legal framework in place but will > spill over the countries that neighbor and share the oil belt. > > 8. The UPC warns that, if the stakeholders in Uganda are not involved in > formulating the policies and legislations which involves the people of > Uganda in the management of oil resources is then, the symbolic national > prayers meant to thank God for the gift of oil resources and which are > intended to be an annual event will turn out prayers to mourn the disasters > that oil would have brought to our motherland. > > 9.The Uganda Peoples Congress calls upon the people of Uganda to join it > in its demand for an open and publicly debated oil resources policy and > legislations that will lead to the formation of an inclusive Uganda > Petroleum Commission to manage our oil resources for all the people of > Uganda and posterity. > ** > ** > *For God and My Country * > ** > ** > ** > *Mama Miria Kalule Obote * > *President, **Uganda** Peoples Congress* > ** > ** > ** > ** > *Notes for Editors** * > ** > *-*More information on UPC and these specific matters can be found in our > website at *www.upcparty.net* > -We actively encourage you to visit the President's Corner and in > particular access 'Notes on Concealment of Genocide in Uganda > ------------------------------ > Get a FREE AOL Email account with 2GB of storage. Plus, share and store > photos and experience exclusively recorded live music Sessions from your > favourite artists. Click Here <http://info.aol.co.uk/joinnow/?ncid=548>for > more information. > > > _______________________________________________ > Ugandanet mailing list > [email protected] > http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet > % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. > --------------------------------------- > >
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