Do political parties ensure democracy?

Jan 22, 2002

For parties to be vehicles of democracy, they must have an internal practice of discipline

By Prof. T. B. KabwegyereThere are good reasons for Ugandans to be unsatisfied with regard to the question of debate and debating the future of Uganda.There was a time when debate was so feared and reduced to discussion between not more than two persons. For instance in the 1970s before Idi Amin’s coup, there was some debate on Uganda Television but by a selected few who could not express the contrary view for fear of Akena Adoko’s state research boys.When Amin took over, there was a total eclipse on debate and discussion. The eight years of Amin’s terror were years of complete shut-up, either in the boot of a car or found headless in Namanve or even on the roadside in the surroundings of Kampala city and elsewhere. We have not done enough to sensitise the young generation about the extreme failure of yesterday.Amin’s fall was followed by UNLF which failed to cope with the repair work that was badly needed by a deeply injured society. It soon became possible for those who had brought about the democratic eclipse to take over power again. I fail to understand those who publicly praise the success of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) leadership which produced Amin and the UPC rule of 1981-1985.In the year 2002, we Uganda-ns must clearly define and agree on what we mean by political success. The UPC leadership was overthrown twice. Is this really an index of success?Freedom of speech as well as democracy and human rights are new values in Uganda certainly not attributable to UPC rule or Amin’s control of Uganda.I want to soberly state that Aggrey Awori, Cecilia Ogwal, Rwanyarare, Paul Ssemogerere, Kabwegyere etc are freer today than they have ever been. Today, they are free to say what they want without fear or favour. But this is not to say that there is no demand or even need for further freedom.There are those who would want to mess up Uganda again if given a chance! There is no evidence that the leaders of yesterday, Amin or Obote have learnt new and better ways to handle public affairs. Even Dr Ssemogerere who complained that he was excluded from power since 1986, has little to show that he has acquired new ways of political innovation.So, really how should we use the year 2002?I wish to propose that we bring the focus of debate on concrete issues.How can we achieve internal democracy? How can we build a democratic tradition with values, institutions, attitudes, mental sets etc so that those who will come after us have something to call a democratic foundation?Does the existence of parties per se produce, build or guarantee democracy? The answer is a big NO! Parties themselves must be democratic in organisation, behaviour, methods and above all, values.Our old parties cannot pass the acid test of being in themselves democratic institutions. It is not Museveni or the Movement that dictated that from 1962 to 1986 UPC be led by Obote and no one else!Look inside UPC, if I have looked wrongly, tell me whether you have found any traces of democratic values or standards. Both UPC and DP are very intolerant organisations, hopelessly undemocratic and in fact, very dictatorial. This explains the divisions which have bedevilled both of them.How have they handled the question of leadership? DP might plead some innocence but even that is a plea and not a given verdict. Between 1981 and 1985, UPC must have held its annual conference at least four times. DP held one and that was the last. The plea is that the UPC government was intolerant and conditions did not therefore allow for a free leadership change. But after losing elections twice, shouldn’t Ssemogerere have had a sense of guilt to leave office? When mention of a challenge gets to his ear, he acts like a wounded buffalo. Behind the simple looks, there is a tough guy who speaks democracy but acts contrary most of the time.For parties to be vehicles of democracy they must have a theory and practice of democracy internally. They cannot deliver to society what they do not have.In the debate this year, we must include what institution should exist to oversee the practice and theory of democracy within the parties so that if they fail to conform there is an independent mechanism to give direction.For how long should party leaders stay in office? Obote has been president of UPC since 1962, 40 years continuously! What institutions exist that can ensure changes in parties other than simply leaving it to annual delegates’ conferences?How many parties should be allowed to operate? I have witnessed the case of Burundi, where a man and his wife probably make up the entire membership of a party and hence qualify for a ministry in the interim administration! Or should we allow democratic anarchy where hundreds of parties may form and yet none is capable of handling public affairs?How do we prevent ethnic, region-based parties in order to uphold the constitution? In other words, what is a national party in leadership or following? How does a party get its finances and spend them? Should party accounts be subjected to the scrutiny of the auditor general?Much has been said in reference to UPC and DP. Look at CP, JEMA and the National Democratic Forum Mr Chapaa’s baby. What do you make of them? Controlling State Power? What message or vision do we have from parties generally? Those who recommend that we go to parties now, either do not understand our history or do not wish us well. As for debate, it is more possible than before but let us be conclusive and focus on concrete issues.Nobody should be deceived that when parties walk the streets and the countryside, all the problems will disappear or that democracy will grow easily like dodo (a vegetable).Next time we shall address the question of how the Movement system of government is a product of the party-system failure and what problems lie ahead.

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