Uganda: Let us sit together
Feb 07, 2009
It was at our table at the Kampala Club that a strange thing happened. One or two of the friends who share this table (say it softly!) are from the FDC. We mostly stay away from divisive politics, as if the lion and the sheep should lie together.
BY JOHN NAGENDA
It was at our table at the Kampala Club that a strange thing happened. One or two of the friends who share this table (say it softly!) are from the FDC. We mostly stay away from divisive politics, as if the lion and the sheep should lie together.
Anyway this evening a well-known FDC man, and stranger to our table, came, and we let him. It is democracy. What he started, and in which we all happily joined, was the need for all political activity to bring the different parties together. It would obliterate many petty and unnecessary diversions, leaving time for important matters of state to be seriously addressed.
The conviviality which sometimes comes more easily with a glass down the throat, led to good-natured banter as if with a single wave of a wand, miracles might follow; (till morning!) But the points raised were plain enough.
Take the current fighting in the Congo to destroy forever the evil LRA; he conceded the right of the government not to divulge matters beforehand, so as not to tip off the enemy. But afterwards why not call in the opposition and brief them? Lunatic fringes apart, the rest would have the knowledge, to discuss it before Parliament came in. Of course many members of this porous body might leak immediately, but now the danger would be minor. What it would do for the loyal opposition (as it is sometimes called) is to inform its members that Government recognised their efficacy as thinking, nationalistic adults. It need not only be in war.
Most Government programmes would be better received by this bipartisan approach. There might be times when the coolness of an office would serve better than the hotter climes of the House!
Reader, reflect on this: it should not be impossible in such circumstances that the opposition might even convince the Cabinet that its view in a case was better than the government’s. Who has a monopoly on ideas? All these thoughts were debated that night at The Club, and in the light of day they still rang a bell. When shall we stop judging issues by personality, instead of thought? When we returned home reeking of booze, it was better than it seemed. And there is a bonus here. A happier, more contented opposition (rather than a perennially bitter and twisted one) is more likely to better contribute to the National Debate. This ironically makes it stronger. A stronger opposition is better for the nation and the government, keeping it on its toes. The converse is true; look all around you!
*****************
With columns like this one, you could cheat and write them, if your finger was itching, in batches.
Ah, but you would get caught out if something earth-shattering happened and of it you said nothing. One such, not likely to shatter the earth, but vivid enough, were some of the happenings at the just ended Africa Union talks in Addis Ababa; none more so than in connection with that mercurial ruler of Libya, Col Gadhaffi. If anyone alive tells you they can second guess this intriguing leader, they are telling fibs! Truly can it be said that he is afraid of nothing, save only Allah. Fair enough.
But fear is one thing, and respect another. Whom does the colonel respect? He arrived at this hugely important meeting of 53 nations which, God knows, have a mountain of discussions in order to improve the lot of their people. Given a fair wind they might even come to one or two vital agreements; certainly start the process of working seriously as a continent. The last thing needed is to treat the august gathering as a jamboree.
He started off with his retinue of thoroughly cowed and understandably self-conscious African traditional leaders. What was his aim exactly? They were a curious bunch for sure in their various gradations. You thought of a human zoo. They were quickly shooed away from the general meeting hall. What would have been their function there? When he sent 200 of them to hold I-don’t-know-what in Uganda (perhaps as a rehearsal for Addis) they were swiftly dispatched back to sender!
Rumour has it that they, under what authority it is difficult to tell, bestowed on him the title King of Kings! King Idris of Libya must have turned in his grave after so long a period of rest.
One thing is certain: none of his descendants will be packing their bags for a return to Libya to claim their throne! Can it be true that King of Kings Gaddhafi told the African leaders to address him as such in Addis? Perhaps they returned to the 53 nations they lead more sure than ever that the United States of Africa now, now, is a concept to be debated for decades. Meanwhile there are different stages to undertake in bringing Africans sustainably together.
Many, myself included, respect and marvel at what this man has done for Libya, sometimes standing alone against the more powerful nations of the world. The clear proof of that is how many are now beating a path to his door, some of whom had tried in vain to kill him.
The Addis meeting elected him Chairman of the AU for the coming year. (Fasten your belts and bring your parachutes!) With all due respect, Brother Gadhaffi, realise with honour that your fellow Africans are engaged in pursuit of their own dreams for those they lead. And where they don’t, they should. God bless Africa!
It was at our table at the Kampala Club that a strange thing happened. One or two of the friends who share this table (say it softly!) are from the FDC. We mostly stay away from divisive politics, as if the lion and the sheep should lie together.
Anyway this evening a well-known FDC man, and stranger to our table, came, and we let him. It is democracy. What he started, and in which we all happily joined, was the need for all political activity to bring the different parties together. It would obliterate many petty and unnecessary diversions, leaving time for important matters of state to be seriously addressed.
The conviviality which sometimes comes more easily with a glass down the throat, led to good-natured banter as if with a single wave of a wand, miracles might follow; (till morning!) But the points raised were plain enough.
Take the current fighting in the Congo to destroy forever the evil LRA; he conceded the right of the government not to divulge matters beforehand, so as not to tip off the enemy. But afterwards why not call in the opposition and brief them? Lunatic fringes apart, the rest would have the knowledge, to discuss it before Parliament came in. Of course many members of this porous body might leak immediately, but now the danger would be minor. What it would do for the loyal opposition (as it is sometimes called) is to inform its members that Government recognised their efficacy as thinking, nationalistic adults. It need not only be in war.
Most Government programmes would be better received by this bipartisan approach. There might be times when the coolness of an office would serve better than the hotter climes of the House!
Reader, reflect on this: it should not be impossible in such circumstances that the opposition might even convince the Cabinet that its view in a case was better than the government’s. Who has a monopoly on ideas? All these thoughts were debated that night at The Club, and in the light of day they still rang a bell. When shall we stop judging issues by personality, instead of thought? When we returned home reeking of booze, it was better than it seemed. And there is a bonus here. A happier, more contented opposition (rather than a perennially bitter and twisted one) is more likely to better contribute to the National Debate. This ironically makes it stronger. A stronger opposition is better for the nation and the government, keeping it on its toes. The converse is true; look all around you!
*****************
With columns like this one, you could cheat and write them, if your finger was itching, in batches.
Ah, but you would get caught out if something earth-shattering happened and of it you said nothing. One such, not likely to shatter the earth, but vivid enough, were some of the happenings at the just ended Africa Union talks in Addis Ababa; none more so than in connection with that mercurial ruler of Libya, Col Gadhaffi. If anyone alive tells you they can second guess this intriguing leader, they are telling fibs! Truly can it be said that he is afraid of nothing, save only Allah. Fair enough.
But fear is one thing, and respect another. Whom does the colonel respect? He arrived at this hugely important meeting of 53 nations which, God knows, have a mountain of discussions in order to improve the lot of their people. Given a fair wind they might even come to one or two vital agreements; certainly start the process of working seriously as a continent. The last thing needed is to treat the august gathering as a jamboree.
He started off with his retinue of thoroughly cowed and understandably self-conscious African traditional leaders. What was his aim exactly? They were a curious bunch for sure in their various gradations. You thought of a human zoo. They were quickly shooed away from the general meeting hall. What would have been their function there? When he sent 200 of them to hold I-don’t-know-what in Uganda (perhaps as a rehearsal for Addis) they were swiftly dispatched back to sender!
Rumour has it that they, under what authority it is difficult to tell, bestowed on him the title King of Kings! King Idris of Libya must have turned in his grave after so long a period of rest.
One thing is certain: none of his descendants will be packing their bags for a return to Libya to claim their throne! Can it be true that King of Kings Gaddhafi told the African leaders to address him as such in Addis? Perhaps they returned to the 53 nations they lead more sure than ever that the United States of Africa now, now, is a concept to be debated for decades. Meanwhile there are different stages to undertake in bringing Africans sustainably together.
Many, myself included, respect and marvel at what this man has done for Libya, sometimes standing alone against the more powerful nations of the world. The clear proof of that is how many are now beating a path to his door, some of whom had tried in vain to kill him.
The Addis meeting elected him Chairman of the AU for the coming year. (Fasten your belts and bring your parachutes!) With all due respect, Brother Gadhaffi, realise with honour that your fellow Africans are engaged in pursuit of their own dreams for those they lead. And where they don’t, they should. God bless Africa!