Kiwanuka, Britain has strong institutions

May 24, 2005

SIR — I would like to react to Prof. Semakula Kiwanuka’s article of May 19 entitled “What is good for Britain...” Kiwanuka raises very serious issues but I will dwell on two.

SIR — I would like to react to Prof. Semakula Kiwanuka’s article of May 19 entitled “What is good for Britain...” Kiwanuka raises very serious issues but I will dwell on two.

He wonders why it is alright for Tony Blair to have a third term, and not Museveni. he also wonders why it is fine for Britain to subject a contentious issues such a European constitution to a referendum and not the Movement. Here is why:

Britain and indeed most of Europe and the civilised world have institutions which are strong enough to check the excesses of their leaders.

Blair, for instance, cannot cause the House of Commons to reverse its decision on a major issue, in spite of having the majority in the House of Commons belonging to his Labour Party. on the contrary, a Ugandan or African president would summon MPs to his residence to make a plot that is usually in total disregard of parliamentary procedure. we have witnessed this twice in recent history. Ugandans need to be reminded that not long ago, at the whims of the president, parliament was forced to reverse its decision on holding a referendum!

These developments therefore point to one thing. In the face of a very strong presidency with no independent institutions to provide checks and balances, especially where almost no tangible effort is made to establish them, term limits come in handy to fill this gap.

otherwise our leaders could easily become dictators, and I am sure this is the donors’ biggest concern. About a referendum, I concur with Kiwanuka that referendums are the highest expressions of democracy, especially if carried out with appropriate civic education.

however, it is also true that referendums have all through history been used to advance the agenda of selfish leaders. in Uganda’s context, let us also look critically at the question that is being subjected to a referendum — whether to politically associate in multiparty politics or to belong to the Movement. I wish to state here that it is every one’s right to associate.

this right is not granted by the state and therefore should not be subjected to a referendum since it is not contentious. moreover not so long ago, the constitutional court ruled that the Movement is a political party. so are we going to ask peasants to choose between political parties in a referendum?

I have no doubt the movement is a popular party, but this does not give it a right to suppress the minority who may not want to be part of it and besides, there has never been anywhere in the world where the question of association is subjected to a referendum. Prof. Kiwanuka who should be lecturing the rest of us in these issues should not mislead the country for the sake of political gain.

Sempala Timothy
Kampala

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