POLITICAL DIALOGUE
The looming prospect of
talks between FDC leaders and the NRM dictatorship is kind of assuring. “Uncle”
Muniini Mulera’s “Letter to Tingasinga” in the DM of April 4, 2014 (Refer: Museveni-Besigye
talks: a necessary prelude to national dialogue) captures this national
sentiment succinctly. However, in this article, Dr. Muniini nearly inundated me
with an overdose of optimism in the tone of the text.
Optimism (Latin: optimum)
is like fodder for endurance. When nothing seems to work, we tend to project the
best possible outcomes. Optimism is medicinal, just like resilience; they help
us to endure or bounce back from adversity through several pathways. One such
pathway is by painting a colorful utopia, using some of the best literal
devices in our possession.
Uganda is at crossroads
at a point of adverse economic hardship, and saturated to the threshold with the
Museveni hegemony. The prospect of additional Museveni rule, even a minute of
it, conjures up the imagination of the claws he has dug into the flesh of this
nation.
The viciousness of his henchmen,
now turned mafias fed by a well-oiled machinery of the corrupted and greedy
tribal cabal, and sustained through sectarianism is more than what Ugandans
fathom. This group will sabotage any prospect that threatens their mafia
networks, and even cause a coup, or assassinations to subvert talks.
Definitely, those on
top or somewhere in the upper middle rungs of the food chain refuse to
acknowledge this mess in the country. As long as their plate remains full and
their tables have steady supply of “fodder”, the rest of us can whine and rant
all we want.
Therefore, for those
outside the ruling class strata, it is natural to cling on such “baits” for meaningful
“talks”. In psychology, we refer to it as dispositional optimism - a loose set
of beliefs that after all, the future will hold-up Ok. This is unlikely in
Uganda with Mr. Museveni in the tow!
However, dependence on
optimism alone is like self-inundation that numbs one of their current predicaments,
and erases the gruesome memories of past events - the series of events that have
brought us to this very abysmal point.
Life is full of paradoxical
because even then, dwelling on the past has its special effect of immobilizing
societies. Our own history and past experiences have the potency to militate
against the fundamentals of “moving forward” or “bouncing back” from adversity.
It is with such
consciousness that we ought to discuss and contextualize any dealings with Mr.
Museveni. First, from purely a historical perspective, Mr. Museveni generally scores
very badly on agreements, talks, respect for the opponents, and compromises.
You can do the search and conclude for yourself. What has changed fundamentally
with Mr. Museveni or his circumstances that makes us trust that any meaningful
talks are possible? Is it because Sweden has offered to mediate? Would there be
a difference if an Angel from Heavens had offered to mediate?
Pundits have variedly
observed that this “talks” talk is a ploy to reinvent his legitimacy after the embarrassment
of the 2016 Presidential elections. His allies have started seeing Mr. Museveni
as a liability.
Dr. Besigye on the
other hand, has gained substantial command of empathy from governments and legitimate
pro-democracy authorities worldwide. Mr. Museveni has continued to benefit from
a thin veil of support from rogue capitalists whose economic and security interests
Mr. Museveni galvanizes at home and in the region. At home, Mr. Museveni has
lost substantial legitimacy, thus the use of apartheid-era instruments of
oppression to subdue.
Given the increasing influence
of his family in plundering the country and the standardized decay in public
services, Ugandans have become suspicious, fearful, and indifferent towards
this regime.
There is a volcano of
discontent welling up in the inside of Ugandans. An urgent and genuine re-set
of this country through a broad and meaningful dialogue would help to diffuse
this from exploding.
END
