Congratulations to Museveni on winning poll

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OPINION

By David K. Mafabi

Warmest congratulations, presidential candidate Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni, for a most deserved win! This is a very emphatic win, at 71.65% of the votes cast, reminiscent of the promise of 1996, where Mzee Musee garnered 74%.

We have listened closely to many pundits splitting the atom on this... On the WHY, on the HOW. We are thinking through all this...

Others still have emphasised studious implementation of the National Resistance Movement election manifesto 2021/2026...

Then, former prime minister Amama Mbabazi used to tell us that successful election campaigns are built around the message, the machinery, the resources...

Obviously, all this contributes to the many ‘truths’ on the subject.

We take our cue from Mzee Museveni’s inaugural speech on the steps of Parliament after the January 1986 victory. To paraphrase: “This is not a mere change of guard... This is a fundamental change.”

A fundamental change is a revolution — it is not a mere catalogue of events or acts of creation. No. It is a historical process of structural change, transcending regimes. The full content and extent of the revolutionary process in Ugandan national specificities is reflected in the National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, which are outlined in the Constitution of Uganda.

Mzee Museveni’s win is reflective of up to 60 years of fidelity to the Ugandan and African revolution. Apart from the very visible gains delivered by his Government, very well-articulated by the campaign, our people greatly appreciate that loyalty and fidelity to the revolution. That is what the Museveni vote, deep down, is about.

Yes, members of the Movement and their organisation delivered victory very well, organised and enthusiastic. But the victory is singularly Mzee Museveni’s; he is the epitome of the Movement.

Some questions linger over: why do more than 10 million voters register and yet do not vote? The Movement and other political forces must address this question. The question of low voter turnout must be addressed. True, even the older democracies are plagued by this, but we cannot fold our hands as the tasks of national and state formation unfold.

As we celebrate, life goes on. We are quietly bothered by what we see as a regeneration of fascist ideas and tendencies around the world today. We should like to examine this disturbing surge of neo-fascism. To provide a background to this conversation, we share excerpts from our 2012 paper on Imperialism, Neo-Colonialism and Contemporary Globalisation.

“Throughout 2008, commentary and analysis were rife from ‘experts’ and pundits, about the health of the global economy and its lasting impact on particularly African economies. It is easy to recall the headlines and editorials in December of that year in our local newspapers, declaring for instance, ‘Prices of services and commodities are going through the roof...’

President Museveni had already given a clear message on the matter, i.e. the impact of the global financial crisis on our economy. The message was that there was nothing to worry about, at least not in the short term. Then Finance Minister Ezra Suruma echoed that position.

Journalist Andrew Mwenda wrote about the ‘crisis’, as did elder Dani Wadada Nabudere (RIP) and his contemporary Prof. Yash Tandon. Articles on similar concerns by Moustapha Soumare of the United Nations Development Programme and by John Ssempebwa of the Private Sector Foundation were carried in the New Vision. That same December 2008, World Bank economists announced projections indicating that global trade would contract by 2.1% in 2009, the first time this would happen since 1982, and that there would be a drop in investments between countries over the same period. They predicted that middle-income and poor countries would consequently be hit particularly hard.

Our own modest contribution then, was to make three points: First, to underline the fact that there was absolutely nothing to worry about regarding the developments in the world economy; second, that any possible adversity that accompanied those developments, could be turned into opportunity and advantage; third, that there was no need anyway, to abandon a winning overall macroeconomic and development policy framework.

The conversation continues next week. Once again, warmest congratulations, Mzee!

The writer is the senior presidential advisor/special duties, State House