Mirror cracked from side to side

Feb 16, 2016

The latest polls had given Museveni only 53% (still a winning first-round figure) and his three-time loser, medical Dr Kizza Besigye, 28%. Then they plummeted to 1.9% for third-placed Amama Mbabazi (ex-Premier, etc) and much less than 1% each for the remnants.



By John Nagenda

In writing about last Saturday's events, I have chosen a line from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem, The Lady of Shallot. Strictly the line is, "The Mirror it cracked from Side to Side", immediately introducing a touch of magic, almost of the supernatural. This is reinforced by another line: "The curse is upon me, cried the Lady of Shallot". What's going on here, you may ask!

It is perhaps doubly appropriate because this article is about Saturday's Presidential Debate, whose chief convener (if we may so call him) was none other than retired Justice Ogoola. His hobby, or mighty passion, is the construction of dramatic (sometimes perhaps melodramatic) works of verse. Some he included in his speech recited at the end of a sometimes turbulent debate between all eight finalists hoping to become the next President of the Republic of Uganda.

It was the second such, the first having been cut by none other than the 30-year incumbent of that office, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. His reason for the omission was that he was already spoken for, by related duties to those he was hoping would return him for one last time. He had stated this election to be his last, although not because he was no longer spritely enough for the awesome job, bravely borne. And the polls gave support to this, his figures having started off this time round at 71%, although later dipping mysteriously.

ll the presidential candidates turned up for the second presidential debate   All the presidential candidates turned up for the second presidential debate

 


 



This is not a bad time for the writer to rid himself of the onerous task of confessing he has been an undaunted opponent of these debates from the very beginning. It seemed to me to be hilarious to try and bring together in a single debate eight contestants for the presidency. The latest polls had given Museveni only 53% (still a winning first-round figure) and his three-time loser, medical Dr Kizza Besigye, 28%. Then they plummeted to 1.9% for third-placed Amama Mbabazi (ex-Premier, etc) and much less than 1% each for the remnants. Surely it was at best a thin joke mixing them together in the same programme! Of what meaningful use was this?

I am still largely of the same mind, although clearly the second debate was fun, oddly enough because of the odd combination of those taking part, but also their conviction that that their ideas deserved their day in court. These they presented in lively fashion. The general mood was also good-natured, save, as we shall see, with one ominous exception! Incidentally I've been dreading eating that culinary poison, Humble Pie, but its time can no longer be put off! I called the poet-judge "a magician attempting to pull imaginary rabbits from hats", in my weekly Column: One Man's Week, when referring to his leading role in making the Debates happen: he managed it!

And it was not by accident that the Doctor, who was the exception to wishing the elections to be peaceful, behaved in this fashion. If they had all been dressed by Wardrobe for their part in the drama, the result couldn't have been more fitting. All the other men wore sober suits; the woman was in a most fetching bark-cloth (lubugo) ensemble. Besigye alone was dressed in a voluminous jazzy jacket as if fitted out for War. He wore a face to match. In all his various, unsuccessful, missions at the presidency it had been thus, save for the current public rallies, where he has dancingly jubilated, actually to his advantage.

But we are who we are, as all tragedies show. At the exact time when our better side should be on show, to entice doubters that we can rise to the occasion and win new friends, the old bitter side, the Invisible Man, flows through the cracks to the surface. It was time for the one-minute conclusions (not that any of the contestants stuck to this, and who can blame them!) The cameras swept along the faces of the candidates, and, behold, what they saw was good.

useveni shook the hands of all his challengers when he got  on the stage Museveni shook the hands of all his challengers when he got on the stage

 
It was not that they stood a chance to win the presidency. That was below a snowflake's one of surviving the heat of hell! But they had their opportunity to state their wishes, and we clapped for each one in turn, for they wished for peace. And then the cameras reached Dr Besigye. Which Besigye would be there? In a fateful three minutes he concluded his full exposure of himself. He seemed to leak acid from every pore, with cataclysmic consequences to none other than his own future; consuming himself. The Curse was upon him. His mirror it cracked from Side to Side!

As he prophesied wars in the streets during election time this week, reminiscent of what had happened in neighbouring Kenya some years ago, up stepped President Museveni, as if there for that very purpose. "There will be peaceful elections in Uganda. No one can disturb our peace, to disturb our people. It's not acceptable!"

As luck would have it (hopefully it was no more than luck) by midday Monday an incident in mid-Kampala had led to the arrest of Dr Besigye. Security has gone out of its way not to interfere with Dr Besigye's movement, no matter the provocation. Let this remain the case!  God Bless Uganda.

The writer is a Senior Presidential Adviser

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