COVID-19: An indiscriminate litmus paper for Uganda's parliament

OPINION

Does the term ‘parliament' refer to a country's legislative (law -making) body or there could be a new definition in this era?

Under normal governance, the Parliament has notable functions: legislative functions, financial control, providing and exercising control over government programs, critical assessment of the work of the cabinet and role of opposition; it is an organ of constitutional functions, judicial functions, elective functions et cetera.

The existing global challenge of Covid-19 is testing Uganda's parliament in all its facets! The presence of this August house is either earning the trust and esteem of the constituencies or not. The explanation of the terms CHARITY and SOCIAL JUSTICE should be reflected in the care given to the respective voters. The quality of parliamentary debates should focus on the wellness and common good of the citizenry before the representatives themselves.

An unknown author wrote: ‘' if we suspect that man is lying, we should pretend to believe him, for then he becomes bold and assured, lies more vigorously, and is unmasked'' Honourable members of parliament, it is time to take responsibility, be bold and let your genius convert your fear into power and brilliance for all Ugandans.

Effective representation (service) should be the condition at play in mind if we are to embrace responsible politics. In every democratic principle, there should be effective representation of the electorate. The first condition of effective representation resides in relative equality, meaning that the weight of elector's vote should not be underestimated!

What differentiates political leaders is not so much their philosophy of leadership, their personality, or their style of management. Rather, It is their ‘'ACTION LOGIC''! How leaders interpret their surroundings and react when their power and safety is challenged.

Political leaders who do undertake a voyage of personal understanding and development can transform not only their own capabilities but also those of their voters. Leaders who make an effort to understand their own action logic can improve their ability to lead and represent. But to do that, it's important first to understand what kind of leader you already are!

Current politics in Africa largely portray features of mistrust, egocentrism and manipulation! Many opportunists(self-seekers), who are now the majority of African politicians, have a tendency to focus on personal gains and see the world and other people as opportunities to be exploited The way they will react to an event depends primarily on whether or not they think they can direct the outcome. They reject feedback, externalise blame and retaliate with impunity.

The legendary management Guru, Peter Drucker asserts; the world has been training leaders for years and yet the world is still short of leaders! Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. These leadership questions deserve introspection by ambitious political leaders: are you curious enough to lead? Do you have what it takes to lead?

Do you have the tenacity to lead? Do you have the audacity to lead? Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could and Uganda needs this step.

Let me ask our parliamentarians, why do you aspire for positions of leadership in the political arena? The shortest route to accumulate wealth in Africa today is through political leadership. This should change and politicians should work for the genuine and common good of the electorate. This commercialisation in politics is very dangerous, a menace to the common good and social fabric. This selfish attitude should be changed by the incumbents, aspirants and new representatives in political leadership. When this is changed, political leadership will attract good men and women who are not opportunists. We need to exorcise this demon of corruption for a better Africa of which Uganda is part!

Current political leaders must learn from the past. In the introduction to his philosophy of history, Hegel wrote, ‘' what experience and history teach is this-that peoples and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it.'' In other words, the one thing we learn from history is that we don't learn from history!

The Greek philosopher Aristotle said, ‘'Governments, which have a regard to the common interest, are constituted in accordance with strict principles of social justice, and are therefore true forms; but those which regard only the interest of the rulers are all defective and perverted forms, for they are despotic, whereas a state is a community of freemen''

Again, it is for the sake of the soul that goods external and goods of the body are eligible at all, and all wise men and sages ought to choose them for the sake of the soul, and not the soul for the sake of them.

In a nutshell, we shall never CHANGE anything in the world without courage! With leadership in disarray, Courage is the greatest quality of the mind next to honour.

The moment is now to avoid selfish leadership before and after elections. Be ready to lead in diversity (all peoples) and integrate this diversity into strength in our respective societies with audacity. Do what God tells you. God is the yardstick, and His will never leads us where His grace cannot sustain and enable us. Critique your own political leadership and ambitions.

 Fr Joseph Mukiibi, Kansanga Catholic Parish_ Kampala

 For God and my country