President Museveni deserves a 3rd term
Dec 05, 2005
<b>By Francis Butagira</b><br><br>Uganda has regained its glory due to the political stability arising from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) takeover of the administration of the country in 1986, under the leadership of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
By Francis Butagira
Uganda has regained its glory due to the political stability arising from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) takeover of the administration of the country in 1986, under the leadership of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Bad governance, based on multiparty political system that was operating in an atmosphere of division along tribal and religious lines, was partly to blame. Parties, through opportunistic manipulations of their leaders, came to be based on tribes or religion. The population was also polarised along tribal and religious lines. This was a recipe for trouble and chaos.
Political parties thrive better in countries where there is a significant Middle Class, able to articulate issues on non-sectarian lines. They would be concerned with alternative policies not tribal or religious interests.
When NRM came into power, therefore, it had to address these shortcomings.
It devised a system of governance known as the Movement system. Its ingredients were:-
l participatory democracy;
l democracy, accountability and transparency;
l accessibility to all positions of leadership by all citizens;
l individual merit as a basis for election to political offices.
The country needed a breather, and temporarily the operation of political partiesm, though recognised, was suspended.
All elections were based on individual merit as opposed to political affiliation. The system has worked very well. Ugandans are united and the sectarian divisions of the past are a bygone era.
The entrepreneurial skills of the young generation especially have been released and harnessed for economic development. Only policies that would advance economic development and general well-being of the people, would sell politically. Any individual aspiring to elective office would have to measure up to this yardstick.
Because of the political stability ushered in by the Movement type of governance, Uganda has made tremendous strides in all spheres of development. Just to give a few instances: Uganda has put in place sound macroeconomic policies, including liberalisation which allows, for instance, liberalisation of capital accounts and repatriation of profits. It has in place an attractive investment regime. For many years now, economic growth has averaged 6% of GDP.
Inflation is in single digits. The GDP in the last 17 years has doubled from $3.6b to $7b. About 600,000 new mobile telephone lines have been installed. Today I am able to talk to my mother deep in my village of Bugamba, from New York, as well as my farm manager in Nyabushozi. There are over 100FM radio stations scattered throughout the country.
These radios have helped to spread messages of development, and have provided people through talk shows, a forum to air their complaints and views to the Government. Other television stations have come up in Kampala. Most trunk roads connecting districts are tarmac.
The scoreboard in the field of governance is also impressive.
Our Judiciary is vibrant and in fact, on a number of occasions, it has ruled against Government in suits brought either by individuals or Government officials.
We have a well functioning Human Rights Commission as well as the institution of Inspector General of Government. We have decentralised Government with participation of local people in the governance of their affairs, and indeed our decentralisation setup has been an example to copy by many African countries.
Elections, both at national and local levels, are held periodically at regular and predictable intervals, and conducted by an independent and impartial electoral Commission. Our media is one of the freest in the world.
Move to introduce multipartyism and lifting of presidential term limits
Although the Movement system has served well, there was, as shown by subsequent elections, a small percentage of people who still clung to political parties and even had their representatives in Parliament although allegedly under Movement system. These people felt conscripted by the Movement system. It was thus prudent to think of opening up political space so that these people would be free to organise openly under political parties.
Another consideration was that over the years, a new generation, not divided on sectarian grounds, has come into existence. Then there was the external factor. The opponents of the Movement system had spread a word abroad, that they were denied democratic right to organise themselves under parties.
Although under the Movement system democracy was well embraced, we could not go on being branded undemocratic.
Accordingly, the National Conference and the National Executive Committee of the ruling Movement took a decision in March, 2003, to open the political space and also to lift the presidential term limits.
But because the NRM government believes in democracy, it had to seek the views of the people on these matters as well as any other proposed constitutional amendments.
A Constitutional Review Commission was, therefore, established on February 9, 2001 by Legal Notice No. 1 of 2001 chaired by Professor Frederick Ssempebwa. It gathered people’s views throughout the country. On December 10, 2003 it submitted its report to the Government.
It recommended that the multiparty political system be adopted.
Article 105(2) of the Constitution provides for two terms of five years each. The Commission recommended that this issue be referred to the people through a referendum. The Commission also recommended a regional government composed of two or more districts, on their own volition. It also recommended dual citizenship, and many other changes to the Constitution.
It is thus wrong to portray the exercise of amending the constitution as intended only to lift presidential term limits so that President Museveni can stand again.
You cannot empower people to have a right to choose who should govern them and at the same time fetter their choice with artificial term limits. Article 1(4) of the constitution provides: “The people shall express their will and consent on who shall govern them and how they should be governed through regular and fair elections of their representatives or through referenda.â€
If a president is bad, people will not elect him; period. In Uganda, even the opponents of President Museveni acknowledge that he has done very well, and this sentiment is shared by the international community.
President Museveni indeed deserves a third term, and he will indeed win in the forthcoming elections. Responding to the wishes of the overwhelming section of our people, Parliament by overwhelming majority, voted to remove presidential term limits (220 in favour, 53 against, and 2 abstentions).
Earlier, by a vote of 221 in favour, 18 against and 3 abstentions, Parliament voted for a change of political system (from Movement to Multiparty system) to be decided by the people in a referendum.
Accordingly, in a referendum held on July 28, 2005 the people chose to open political space by allowing return of political parties.
The people of Uganda are thus exercising their fundamental right on how they should be governed and by whom. It will be up to a party to field its own presidential candidate. What we should be concerned with, including our friends abroad, is whether or not the electoral process is democratic, free and fair, and there is no doubt at all that there are adequate laws to ensure this, and the political will to implement this is there.
The writer is Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the
United Nations, New York
Uganda has regained its glory due to the political stability arising from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) takeover of the administration of the country in 1986, under the leadership of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Bad governance, based on multiparty political system that was operating in an atmosphere of division along tribal and religious lines, was partly to blame. Parties, through opportunistic manipulations of their leaders, came to be based on tribes or religion. The population was also polarised along tribal and religious lines. This was a recipe for trouble and chaos.
Political parties thrive better in countries where there is a significant Middle Class, able to articulate issues on non-sectarian lines. They would be concerned with alternative policies not tribal or religious interests.
When NRM came into power, therefore, it had to address these shortcomings.
It devised a system of governance known as the Movement system. Its ingredients were:-
l participatory democracy;
l democracy, accountability and transparency;
l accessibility to all positions of leadership by all citizens;
l individual merit as a basis for election to political offices.
The country needed a breather, and temporarily the operation of political partiesm, though recognised, was suspended.
All elections were based on individual merit as opposed to political affiliation. The system has worked very well. Ugandans are united and the sectarian divisions of the past are a bygone era.
The entrepreneurial skills of the young generation especially have been released and harnessed for economic development. Only policies that would advance economic development and general well-being of the people, would sell politically. Any individual aspiring to elective office would have to measure up to this yardstick.
Because of the political stability ushered in by the Movement type of governance, Uganda has made tremendous strides in all spheres of development. Just to give a few instances: Uganda has put in place sound macroeconomic policies, including liberalisation which allows, for instance, liberalisation of capital accounts and repatriation of profits. It has in place an attractive investment regime. For many years now, economic growth has averaged 6% of GDP.
Inflation is in single digits. The GDP in the last 17 years has doubled from $3.6b to $7b. About 600,000 new mobile telephone lines have been installed. Today I am able to talk to my mother deep in my village of Bugamba, from New York, as well as my farm manager in Nyabushozi. There are over 100FM radio stations scattered throughout the country.
These radios have helped to spread messages of development, and have provided people through talk shows, a forum to air their complaints and views to the Government. Other television stations have come up in Kampala. Most trunk roads connecting districts are tarmac.
The scoreboard in the field of governance is also impressive.
Our Judiciary is vibrant and in fact, on a number of occasions, it has ruled against Government in suits brought either by individuals or Government officials.
We have a well functioning Human Rights Commission as well as the institution of Inspector General of Government. We have decentralised Government with participation of local people in the governance of their affairs, and indeed our decentralisation setup has been an example to copy by many African countries.
Elections, both at national and local levels, are held periodically at regular and predictable intervals, and conducted by an independent and impartial electoral Commission. Our media is one of the freest in the world.
Move to introduce multipartyism and lifting of presidential term limits
Although the Movement system has served well, there was, as shown by subsequent elections, a small percentage of people who still clung to political parties and even had their representatives in Parliament although allegedly under Movement system. These people felt conscripted by the Movement system. It was thus prudent to think of opening up political space so that these people would be free to organise openly under political parties.
Another consideration was that over the years, a new generation, not divided on sectarian grounds, has come into existence. Then there was the external factor. The opponents of the Movement system had spread a word abroad, that they were denied democratic right to organise themselves under parties.
Although under the Movement system democracy was well embraced, we could not go on being branded undemocratic.
Accordingly, the National Conference and the National Executive Committee of the ruling Movement took a decision in March, 2003, to open the political space and also to lift the presidential term limits.
But because the NRM government believes in democracy, it had to seek the views of the people on these matters as well as any other proposed constitutional amendments.
A Constitutional Review Commission was, therefore, established on February 9, 2001 by Legal Notice No. 1 of 2001 chaired by Professor Frederick Ssempebwa. It gathered people’s views throughout the country. On December 10, 2003 it submitted its report to the Government.
It recommended that the multiparty political system be adopted.
Article 105(2) of the Constitution provides for two terms of five years each. The Commission recommended that this issue be referred to the people through a referendum. The Commission also recommended a regional government composed of two or more districts, on their own volition. It also recommended dual citizenship, and many other changes to the Constitution.
It is thus wrong to portray the exercise of amending the constitution as intended only to lift presidential term limits so that President Museveni can stand again.
You cannot empower people to have a right to choose who should govern them and at the same time fetter their choice with artificial term limits. Article 1(4) of the constitution provides: “The people shall express their will and consent on who shall govern them and how they should be governed through regular and fair elections of their representatives or through referenda.â€
If a president is bad, people will not elect him; period. In Uganda, even the opponents of President Museveni acknowledge that he has done very well, and this sentiment is shared by the international community.
President Museveni indeed deserves a third term, and he will indeed win in the forthcoming elections. Responding to the wishes of the overwhelming section of our people, Parliament by overwhelming majority, voted to remove presidential term limits (220 in favour, 53 against, and 2 abstentions).
Earlier, by a vote of 221 in favour, 18 against and 3 abstentions, Parliament voted for a change of political system (from Movement to Multiparty system) to be decided by the people in a referendum.
Accordingly, in a referendum held on July 28, 2005 the people chose to open political space by allowing return of political parties.
The people of Uganda are thus exercising their fundamental right on how they should be governed and by whom. It will be up to a party to field its own presidential candidate. What we should be concerned with, including our friends abroad, is whether or not the electoral process is democratic, free and fair, and there is no doubt at all that there are adequate laws to ensure this, and the political will to implement this is there.
The writer is Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the
United Nations, New York