Who should lead the transition?
Oct 07, 2003
It is only three years to the much-awaited 2006 elections. The most unique aspect of these elections is, for the first time since the National resistance army captured power in 1986, elections are likely to be under a multiparty system
By Joshua Kato
It is only three years to the much-awaited 2006 elections. The most unique aspect of these elections is, for the first time since the National resistance army captured power in 1986, elections are likely to be under a multiparty system.
Signs are, the transition is painfully slow. Perhaps, this is why the presidential and foreign affairs committee of parliament has asked government to set up a time table that the country is to follow through the transition.
The opposition thinks the onus is on the government to lead the initiative, while those in the Movement think that the transition is a collective responsibility of all Ugandans.
Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, the National Political Commissar, says the Government has passed several laws to help with the transition. He points out the Constitution, and especially the referendum, which he says will be “a final bend in the transition process.â€
Perhaps, the other law to guide the transition is the Political Parties and Organisations Act (ppoa) 2002. The Act called for parties to register before being allowed to participate in national politics. Yet, rather than follow this law, the traditional opposition has chosen to oppose it and refused to register.
“The formation of the this Act was supposed to be one of the first steps towards a smooth transition, but rather than adopt it, parties have decided to operate outside its mandate,†Kiyonga says.
They call it a bad law, intended to roughen the transition, rather than smoothen it. “You cannot talk of a smooth transition when government is making laws stopping us from operating,†says Ken Lukyamuzi of the Conservative Party.
According to the registrar however, at least 49 parties have picked forms for registration.
For the sake of a smooth transition, Lukyamuzi advises government to bring back the PPOA for re-debating in parliament. “After the holes drilled into that act by the courts of law, I don’t think it is worth continuing to use it as an element in the transition,†he says. Court annulled articles 18 and 19 of the PPOA in March this year.
Because the traditional parties have failed to follow these avenues, government thinks parties are just afraid of the transition. This is because under the same so-called bad law, the National Resistance Movement Organisation is on the verge of registration, while four other political parties have picked forms, ready to register.
Party registration aside, there are many other elements of the Movement system that should be ironed out quickly, if the country is to have a smooth transition. While the constitution says a referendum should be used to change the system of leadership, no decision is yet to be taken about whether to have a referendum in 2004 or use parliament. Parties say, government is planning to bring the laws very late, so that they are caught off guard.
However, Ofwono Opondo of the NRM Secretariat says not only government can push the bills pertaining to the transition, rather MPs who are not members of the executive can also push for the making of these laws. “If they feel time is running out, let them start lobbying the speaker for these laws to be tabled in parliament,†he says.
Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, one of the leading promoters of the NRM organisation, says it is high time Ugandans start discussing the kind of party leadership they should adopt.
Bidandi says a lot of other things are going to change, yet little emphasis is given to them. For example, the local administration system. “We should be asking ourselves, should we remain with the LCs or get something else? These are important issues that should be touched on now,†he says.
The opposition says it is upon the government to tell the population that parties are good. “It is them who have been telling Ugandans that parties are bad, let them go out and sensitise the population,†says DP’s Jude Mbabali.
Ofwono says indeed, the movement will go out come the next referendum and tell Ugandans why parties should come back.
Kiyonga says by instituting a Constitutional Review Commission and contributing proposals to it, government is furthering and smoothening the process of transition. “Everything will come out clearly after the constitutional review. We shall know which path to take as soon as the review is complete,†he says.
According to the opposition, to have a smooth transition, the Electoral commission should not be selected by government, but should have the input of all political parties.
Lukyamuzi says the old electoral commission has been working under the movement system and so it cannot work under a multiparty system.
He says every group should be equally represented on the commission. One thing likely to rock the boat of transition is the lifting of term limits. The opposition believes President Museveni is the only barrier in their path towards state power.
However, most of the parties have already got ‘candidates’ for the 2006 elections, only that internal fighting and factionalism threatens their flow.
On top of the NRM-O preparations, the Democratic Party has set up itself as the main possible challenger to NRM-O. More than five people have expressed interest in standing for the presidency in 2006 and efforts are being made to change the party’s leadership.
There are reports that the party is in the process of hiring a foreign consultant to find out why they cannot win the elections.
UPC is currently opening up party branches around the country. Dr. James Rwanyarare, chairman of the party’s Presidential Policy Commission says this is a strategy intended to help them win power in 2006.
The Reform Agenda have been moving around the country, selling the values of their group. The increased lobbying to return Colonel Kizza Besigye, long before the storm of 2006 is an indicator that perhaps, Besigye is their candidate.
The question is shall we have a smooth transition from Movement rule to parties?
It is only three years to the much-awaited 2006 elections. The most unique aspect of these elections is, for the first time since the National resistance army captured power in 1986, elections are likely to be under a multiparty system.
Signs are, the transition is painfully slow. Perhaps, this is why the presidential and foreign affairs committee of parliament has asked government to set up a time table that the country is to follow through the transition.
The opposition thinks the onus is on the government to lead the initiative, while those in the Movement think that the transition is a collective responsibility of all Ugandans.
Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, the National Political Commissar, says the Government has passed several laws to help with the transition. He points out the Constitution, and especially the referendum, which he says will be “a final bend in the transition process.â€
Perhaps, the other law to guide the transition is the Political Parties and Organisations Act (ppoa) 2002. The Act called for parties to register before being allowed to participate in national politics. Yet, rather than follow this law, the traditional opposition has chosen to oppose it and refused to register.
“The formation of the this Act was supposed to be one of the first steps towards a smooth transition, but rather than adopt it, parties have decided to operate outside its mandate,†Kiyonga says.
They call it a bad law, intended to roughen the transition, rather than smoothen it. “You cannot talk of a smooth transition when government is making laws stopping us from operating,†says Ken Lukyamuzi of the Conservative Party.
According to the registrar however, at least 49 parties have picked forms for registration.
For the sake of a smooth transition, Lukyamuzi advises government to bring back the PPOA for re-debating in parliament. “After the holes drilled into that act by the courts of law, I don’t think it is worth continuing to use it as an element in the transition,†he says. Court annulled articles 18 and 19 of the PPOA in March this year.
Because the traditional parties have failed to follow these avenues, government thinks parties are just afraid of the transition. This is because under the same so-called bad law, the National Resistance Movement Organisation is on the verge of registration, while four other political parties have picked forms, ready to register.
Party registration aside, there are many other elements of the Movement system that should be ironed out quickly, if the country is to have a smooth transition. While the constitution says a referendum should be used to change the system of leadership, no decision is yet to be taken about whether to have a referendum in 2004 or use parliament. Parties say, government is planning to bring the laws very late, so that they are caught off guard.
However, Ofwono Opondo of the NRM Secretariat says not only government can push the bills pertaining to the transition, rather MPs who are not members of the executive can also push for the making of these laws. “If they feel time is running out, let them start lobbying the speaker for these laws to be tabled in parliament,†he says.
Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, one of the leading promoters of the NRM organisation, says it is high time Ugandans start discussing the kind of party leadership they should adopt.
Bidandi says a lot of other things are going to change, yet little emphasis is given to them. For example, the local administration system. “We should be asking ourselves, should we remain with the LCs or get something else? These are important issues that should be touched on now,†he says.
The opposition says it is upon the government to tell the population that parties are good. “It is them who have been telling Ugandans that parties are bad, let them go out and sensitise the population,†says DP’s Jude Mbabali.
Ofwono says indeed, the movement will go out come the next referendum and tell Ugandans why parties should come back.
Kiyonga says by instituting a Constitutional Review Commission and contributing proposals to it, government is furthering and smoothening the process of transition. “Everything will come out clearly after the constitutional review. We shall know which path to take as soon as the review is complete,†he says.
According to the opposition, to have a smooth transition, the Electoral commission should not be selected by government, but should have the input of all political parties.
Lukyamuzi says the old electoral commission has been working under the movement system and so it cannot work under a multiparty system.
He says every group should be equally represented on the commission. One thing likely to rock the boat of transition is the lifting of term limits. The opposition believes President Museveni is the only barrier in their path towards state power.
However, most of the parties have already got ‘candidates’ for the 2006 elections, only that internal fighting and factionalism threatens their flow.
On top of the NRM-O preparations, the Democratic Party has set up itself as the main possible challenger to NRM-O. More than five people have expressed interest in standing for the presidency in 2006 and efforts are being made to change the party’s leadership.
There are reports that the party is in the process of hiring a foreign consultant to find out why they cannot win the elections.
UPC is currently opening up party branches around the country. Dr. James Rwanyarare, chairman of the party’s Presidential Policy Commission says this is a strategy intended to help them win power in 2006.
The Reform Agenda have been moving around the country, selling the values of their group. The increased lobbying to return Colonel Kizza Besigye, long before the storm of 2006 is an indicator that perhaps, Besigye is their candidate.
The question is shall we have a smooth transition from Movement rule to parties?