The NRM is still in the lead in the quest for democracy
Oct 06, 2005
TODAY, the NRM has yet again become the first registered political organisation to conduct what is considered genuine democratic grassroot elections countrywide.<br>
By Ofwono Opondo
TODAY, the NRM has yet again become the first registered political organisation to conduct what is considered genuine democratic grassroot elections countrywide.
All together NRM is today set to elect up to 50,000 village chairpersons on its mainstream organ, with its executive, and those of special interest groups including five women, youths, persons with disabilities, veterans, and elders.
And in case of electoral related disputes, an arbitration committee chaired by Gertrude Njuba has also been set up to ensure that there is a cheap and convenient internal system to resolve them at the earliest possible opportunity.
We also expect and caution NRM supporters to observe law and order to distinguish from other political actors. Unlike other groups like the UPC, DP, and FDC where leaders have chosen to skip popular election procedures, the NRM has taken this task as a deliberate mechanism to entrench democracy at the lowest level.
This step alone ends a long hitherto standing speculation from external forces, as well as some demands from within that the interim committees be ratified automatically as the organs of the party.
Some people, especially the incumbents who had gained an earlier foothold in the committees had sought to exploit this phase.
In addition, it ends previous accusations by Bidandi Ssali, Eriya Kategaya, and leaders from other political groups that President Yoweri Museveni had turned his 2001 election task force into NRM organs for selfish benefits, to entrench himself in power.
These elections to establish NRM organs, and the subsequent primaries to select NRM candidates for national offices have reduced the powers of NRM leaders to unilaterally-appoint party’s nominees for office.
And as a consequence, all intending candidates have had to turn up for massive mobilisation in their constituencies to ensure that their potential voters in the various electoral colleges are elected to ensure their own success. Pundits predict that this exercise, especially at the village and sub-county levels will enlist more enthuthiasm than previous elections.
Therefore, these developments being supervised by Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, the long-standing patient man of NRM, should be seen as a further consolidation of democracy, not only within the NRM, but Uganda as a whole.
We sincerely believe that since the NRM is the ruling group and leading political force in the country, consolidating its democracy ought to be a major step in stabilising national politics.
However, its biggest challenge is that over the years, several developments led to the rise of the personalistic interests, and campaign methods that should be dealt with if it is to retain its majority share of votes.
The second aspect is that the NRM must now focus on selecting parliamentary candidates who will not only vote, but also debate to win the arguments in parliament, and have its MPs who specialise in specific areas of legislation, public policy, governance and international relations rather allowing charlatans to take the country for a ride as is the case in the current Parliament.
It is also expected that as the organisation takes deeper roots, NRM members will increasingly stress the party line, ideology, and interests over and above individual interests. And the decline in individual identification among voters means that candidates have to stress party ties, and policy platforms.
Nevertheless, the increased use of the mass media for campaigning should enhance image building based on personal qualities, and this is what will distinguish members.
It should also be in the NRM’s interests to make sure that internal elections and other procedures are seen to be fair and transparent to reduce friction and also make it difficult for those defeated either to join other parties and stand as independents.
Also internal elections must not be seen to be a do or die contest where participants engage in negative campaigns, which will make it difficult for the defeated camp not to rally their electoral support when NRM candidates finally face those from other political parties.
After the primaries, the NRM expects to set up a national election task force that will mobilise support for all its candidates so that individuals are not personally saddled with the record of the either the president or the NRM.
Finally, the NRM must avoid past blunders, or the gaffes of other political groups and move as one entity out to win the coming general elections and also settle the political question as to which group offers better alternatives to Ugandans.
TODAY, the NRM has yet again become the first registered political organisation to conduct what is considered genuine democratic grassroot elections countrywide.
All together NRM is today set to elect up to 50,000 village chairpersons on its mainstream organ, with its executive, and those of special interest groups including five women, youths, persons with disabilities, veterans, and elders.
And in case of electoral related disputes, an arbitration committee chaired by Gertrude Njuba has also been set up to ensure that there is a cheap and convenient internal system to resolve them at the earliest possible opportunity.
We also expect and caution NRM supporters to observe law and order to distinguish from other political actors. Unlike other groups like the UPC, DP, and FDC where leaders have chosen to skip popular election procedures, the NRM has taken this task as a deliberate mechanism to entrench democracy at the lowest level.
This step alone ends a long hitherto standing speculation from external forces, as well as some demands from within that the interim committees be ratified automatically as the organs of the party.
Some people, especially the incumbents who had gained an earlier foothold in the committees had sought to exploit this phase.
In addition, it ends previous accusations by Bidandi Ssali, Eriya Kategaya, and leaders from other political groups that President Yoweri Museveni had turned his 2001 election task force into NRM organs for selfish benefits, to entrench himself in power.
These elections to establish NRM organs, and the subsequent primaries to select NRM candidates for national offices have reduced the powers of NRM leaders to unilaterally-appoint party’s nominees for office.
And as a consequence, all intending candidates have had to turn up for massive mobilisation in their constituencies to ensure that their potential voters in the various electoral colleges are elected to ensure their own success. Pundits predict that this exercise, especially at the village and sub-county levels will enlist more enthuthiasm than previous elections.
Therefore, these developments being supervised by Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, the long-standing patient man of NRM, should be seen as a further consolidation of democracy, not only within the NRM, but Uganda as a whole.
We sincerely believe that since the NRM is the ruling group and leading political force in the country, consolidating its democracy ought to be a major step in stabilising national politics.
However, its biggest challenge is that over the years, several developments led to the rise of the personalistic interests, and campaign methods that should be dealt with if it is to retain its majority share of votes.
The second aspect is that the NRM must now focus on selecting parliamentary candidates who will not only vote, but also debate to win the arguments in parliament, and have its MPs who specialise in specific areas of legislation, public policy, governance and international relations rather allowing charlatans to take the country for a ride as is the case in the current Parliament.
It is also expected that as the organisation takes deeper roots, NRM members will increasingly stress the party line, ideology, and interests over and above individual interests. And the decline in individual identification among voters means that candidates have to stress party ties, and policy platforms.
Nevertheless, the increased use of the mass media for campaigning should enhance image building based on personal qualities, and this is what will distinguish members.
It should also be in the NRM’s interests to make sure that internal elections and other procedures are seen to be fair and transparent to reduce friction and also make it difficult for those defeated either to join other parties and stand as independents.
Also internal elections must not be seen to be a do or die contest where participants engage in negative campaigns, which will make it difficult for the defeated camp not to rally their electoral support when NRM candidates finally face those from other political parties.
After the primaries, the NRM expects to set up a national election task force that will mobilise support for all its candidates so that individuals are not personally saddled with the record of the either the president or the NRM.
Finally, the NRM must avoid past blunders, or the gaffes of other political groups and move as one entity out to win the coming general elections and also settle the political question as to which group offers better alternatives to Ugandans.