Our democracy seems to be sliding down under and if we don’t change our attitude towards politics, it will remain a game of death for many. It is apparent that unless the NRM regime changes its confrontational and none negotiation methods of doing things, the country will most likely slip back into state of anarchy and chaos.
When Police Chief, Kale Kayihura accuses the opposition of using “demonstrations” to cause regime change, he must be thinking strange outright. Freedom of association and other forms of liberties are well enumerated in Uganda’s Constitution. Everyone – except Kayihura - knows that opposition political parties are there to compete for state power. FDC is not a trade union or bunch of merchants. FDC like DP and UPC are contenders for state management and they intend to cause regime change by means that are constitutional.
I just don’t seem to understand why the fuss about Dr. Besigye or other members of the Opposition who are barred from walking to work or going wherever they should be going. Over the years, the regime has overly harassed Dr. Besigye and members of the Opposition, including torturing them and confining them illegally in safehouses, prisons and in Police vehicles. These are barbaric behaviours that must not be condoned in 21 century.
The makers of the 1995 constitution must be wondering what is going on because they know that times have changed. The provisions for human liberty and freedoms that were proscribed in the Constitution are now being violated with impunity by the same people who wrote these down. How are we supposed to enjoy our rights and freedoms if we are barred from walking to work or charged with treason, for sensitizing the masses on fundamental issues that affect them?
Let’s give and take on the current political developments in Uganda. Museveni and NRM do not own Uganda or Ugandans but have succeeded in keeping us under bondage by brutal means. Uganda is a home to every one of us and we must be constructively engaged in shaping the future of that country. Further, now that Museveni has felt the need to change the law and bring in draconian legislation to ban demonstrations, one can only conclude that his time is up and he must consider retiring.
One of the problems with African leaders is that they never know when to quit or change policies once they become intoxicated with power. When you begin to see all sorts of roughness and cruelty being visited on the ordinary citizen, then you know that the leaders are now vegetating in power. Everything becomes a weapon to hold on to power, including old age!
Such a patronizing attitude is what truly buttresses the mindset that these dictators own the means of coercion and also own the state and anything must be controlled by use of brutal and sheer force. The vision and ideology of managing modern state is cast aside, cronyism and mafiaism becomes the new preferred tool.
What is even funny is that no matter how they harass Besigye, none of the cases have been sustained. One really wonders what kinds of lawyers are employed by Government or what kind of conscience they do have. What kind of a professional would accept to be used to perform unethical duties such as concocting charges against a fellow citizen and unleashing such amount of terror on a tax payer? We must take stock here, especially on those lawyers who are representing this shameful face of the regime. With a possible regime change, these lawyers should be made accountable for abuse of power.
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I think the game needs changing by introducing mutual respect in politics. This would allow ample time for contending ideas to get examined by the masses thoroughly. When we continue to adapt to the tradition of using guns and anti-riot police against opponents, then we suppress vital ideas that could add value in our politics.
There is no way that NRM can continue to govern Uganda like a kraal. There must be a better and more civilized way to settle political disagreements. I feel that the more Besigye is harassed, the more he cements his image as a political Messiah, a Martyr and Hero to the locals.
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