Buturo, Matembe clash at meeting
Mar 31, 2009
THE Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Dr. James Nsaba Buturo and former minister Miria Matembe, yesterday clashed at a workshop.
By Milton Olupot
THE Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Dr. James Nsaba Buturo and former minister Miria Matembe, yesterday clashed at a workshop.
The political review workshop was held at Sheraton Kampala Hotel.
“It is a shame that you ministers are defending what every body sees is evidently wrong. I was a minister and I know how the chief descends on you and tells you how you are stupid and foolish,†Matembe said.
“These ministers are captured; their hands are handcuffed. The ministers today are working for survival and I pity them,†she said.
The chaos started after Buturo and the Government Chief Whip, Daudi Migereko, had presented their papers.
The chairperson had to restrain Matembe as she turned her guns to the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, who was not present.
The evidently angry but calm Buturo, protested Matembe’s assertions calling them lies. “This is completely unacceptable, because it is not true. The Cabinet of Uganda comprises women and men of integrity who have professions outside politics. It is not true that we want to be ministers for survival,†he said.
“These assertions injure the institution that the public trusts. The President does not treat cabinet as a private business. This is a democratic Government,†Buturo added.
He said Ugandans had lost an opportunity to develop their own system of governance by abandoning the Movement system and returning to Multi-party politics.
“The western world sees their version of democracy as the only right one. We have adopted systems that have no roots in Africa,†he said.
Democracy, Buturo said, was not something that could be built overnight. “I want to appeal to people who are passionate about western democracy, that these matters take long.â€
Migereko who delivered the key note address had denied the involvement of the army in the electoral process. He outlined the achievements of the NRM as the 1995 Constitution, restoring democracy and security.
He advised the opposition to come up with alternative policies to those of the Government rather than engage in criticism.
Migereko said Uganda was on the right path of democratisation because there were free and fair elections, and whoever was dissatisfied with the elections could contest the outcome in court.
Forum for Democratic Change President Dr. Kizza Besigye, who said he was still a prisoners today, accused NRM of militarising politics. “You cannot see whether elections and not free and fair, if the military is every where.â€
Justice James Ogoola said the judiciary was doing its work well. He said they were working towards regulating the high costs of petitions.
In his characteristic poetic speeches, Ogoola said an incomplete democracy was better than complete autocracy.
THE Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Dr. James Nsaba Buturo and former minister Miria Matembe, yesterday clashed at a workshop.
The political review workshop was held at Sheraton Kampala Hotel.
“It is a shame that you ministers are defending what every body sees is evidently wrong. I was a minister and I know how the chief descends on you and tells you how you are stupid and foolish,†Matembe said.
“These ministers are captured; their hands are handcuffed. The ministers today are working for survival and I pity them,†she said.
The chaos started after Buturo and the Government Chief Whip, Daudi Migereko, had presented their papers.
The chairperson had to restrain Matembe as she turned her guns to the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, who was not present.
The evidently angry but calm Buturo, protested Matembe’s assertions calling them lies. “This is completely unacceptable, because it is not true. The Cabinet of Uganda comprises women and men of integrity who have professions outside politics. It is not true that we want to be ministers for survival,†he said.
“These assertions injure the institution that the public trusts. The President does not treat cabinet as a private business. This is a democratic Government,†Buturo added.
He said Ugandans had lost an opportunity to develop their own system of governance by abandoning the Movement system and returning to Multi-party politics.
“The western world sees their version of democracy as the only right one. We have adopted systems that have no roots in Africa,†he said.
Democracy, Buturo said, was not something that could be built overnight. “I want to appeal to people who are passionate about western democracy, that these matters take long.â€
Migereko who delivered the key note address had denied the involvement of the army in the electoral process. He outlined the achievements of the NRM as the 1995 Constitution, restoring democracy and security.
He advised the opposition to come up with alternative policies to those of the Government rather than engage in criticism.
Migereko said Uganda was on the right path of democratisation because there were free and fair elections, and whoever was dissatisfied with the elections could contest the outcome in court.
Forum for Democratic Change President Dr. Kizza Besigye, who said he was still a prisoners today, accused NRM of militarising politics. “You cannot see whether elections and not free and fair, if the military is every where.â€
Justice James Ogoola said the judiciary was doing its work well. He said they were working towards regulating the high costs of petitions.
In his characteristic poetic speeches, Ogoola said an incomplete democracy was better than complete autocracy.