Squabbles in political parties show lack of clear ideology
Aug 18, 2008
Major political parties in Uganda are facing with internal wrangles. However, the issues over which the leaders are wrangling do not help in solving socio-economic problems of the country. In the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, the cause of the wrangles is that a Muganda should hold the pos
By Ndinawe Byekwaso
Major political parties in Uganda are facing with internal wrangles. However, the issues over which the leaders are wrangling do not help in solving socio-economic problems of the country. In the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, the cause of the wrangles is that a Muganda should hold the post of national chairman. How can this solve the problems of unemployment and lack of economic opportunities for the majority of Ugandans, including the Baganda? Their concern is how to share and not to expand the national cake. Therefore, the struggle for leadership positions in parties is based on petty issues like tribe. Individuals are pursuing individual interests and not the party’s ideology.
To avoid leadership wrangles, political parties should have a clear ideology and use it as a unifying factor. Anybody aspiring for leadership in a party should be elected on the basis of how they understand, articulate and are committed to the ideology.
Ideology is a set of socio-economic objectives and ideals of a political organisation with an implementation plan. The ideals and objectives of an ideology are formulated on the basis of national economic interests. The ideology of most parties in the West is based on national economic interests of capitalists to make profits. Their ideals are freedoms and liberties of capitalists but assumed to apply to all individuals in society. They aim at achieving their objectives under a free market economy, especially abroad. This is the unifying factor of all political parties in most Western countries. However, different parties can have different approaches of promoting national capitalistic objectives.
For instance, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party in the US have commonalties moulded on American national economic interest. They both have the ideology of a market economy and they defend and promote their national capitalists such as multinational corporations as a means of maintaining their superpower position in the world, while creating job opportunities at home. Thus, if Barack Obama becomes President, he will promote the interests of the American economy, even if it means harming the growth of industries in Africa where his fellow blacks originate.
The Democrats and Republicans only differ in approach. While the Democrats represent the interests of the middle working class, the Republicans represent interests of the very rich who own big companies including multinational corporations and cartels. Consequently, the Democrats favour high taxes to fund welfare programmes while the Republicans are opposed to it.
Therefore, political parties in Uganda have to be nationalistic by focusing on national economic development. They should tackle impediments to the growth of industries and address unequal relationship with the developed countries that only serves the interests of developed countries.
By exporting raw materials and importing manufactured goods, we are helping the economies of the developed countries to advance further while we remain static. This should be the focus for any nationalistic political organisation. Nationalism means the protection of national wealth and economic interests against foreign interests. Political parties should aim at cultivating self-reliance as opposed to reliance on donors. Foreign aid should only boost local efforts to achieve indigenous plans and economic policies and not those prescribed from abroad. Leaders should mobilise people to bring about development by themselves and for the benefit of the majority in Uganda irrespective of tribe or religion.
The writer is a lecturer at Nkumba University
Major political parties in Uganda are facing with internal wrangles. However, the issues over which the leaders are wrangling do not help in solving socio-economic problems of the country. In the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, the cause of the wrangles is that a Muganda should hold the post of national chairman. How can this solve the problems of unemployment and lack of economic opportunities for the majority of Ugandans, including the Baganda? Their concern is how to share and not to expand the national cake. Therefore, the struggle for leadership positions in parties is based on petty issues like tribe. Individuals are pursuing individual interests and not the party’s ideology.
To avoid leadership wrangles, political parties should have a clear ideology and use it as a unifying factor. Anybody aspiring for leadership in a party should be elected on the basis of how they understand, articulate and are committed to the ideology.
Ideology is a set of socio-economic objectives and ideals of a political organisation with an implementation plan. The ideals and objectives of an ideology are formulated on the basis of national economic interests. The ideology of most parties in the West is based on national economic interests of capitalists to make profits. Their ideals are freedoms and liberties of capitalists but assumed to apply to all individuals in society. They aim at achieving their objectives under a free market economy, especially abroad. This is the unifying factor of all political parties in most Western countries. However, different parties can have different approaches of promoting national capitalistic objectives.
For instance, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party in the US have commonalties moulded on American national economic interest. They both have the ideology of a market economy and they defend and promote their national capitalists such as multinational corporations as a means of maintaining their superpower position in the world, while creating job opportunities at home. Thus, if Barack Obama becomes President, he will promote the interests of the American economy, even if it means harming the growth of industries in Africa where his fellow blacks originate.
The Democrats and Republicans only differ in approach. While the Democrats represent the interests of the middle working class, the Republicans represent interests of the very rich who own big companies including multinational corporations and cartels. Consequently, the Democrats favour high taxes to fund welfare programmes while the Republicans are opposed to it.
Therefore, political parties in Uganda have to be nationalistic by focusing on national economic development. They should tackle impediments to the growth of industries and address unequal relationship with the developed countries that only serves the interests of developed countries.
By exporting raw materials and importing manufactured goods, we are helping the economies of the developed countries to advance further while we remain static. This should be the focus for any nationalistic political organisation. Nationalism means the protection of national wealth and economic interests against foreign interests. Political parties should aim at cultivating self-reliance as opposed to reliance on donors. Foreign aid should only boost local efforts to achieve indigenous plans and economic policies and not those prescribed from abroad. Leaders should mobilise people to bring about development by themselves and for the benefit of the majority in Uganda irrespective of tribe or religion.
The writer is a lecturer at Nkumba University