Museveni has Killed hopes for liberal democracy

AFRICAN DICTATORSHIP

I read with much consternation that Museveni’s regime suspended the operation of some civil society organizations in Uganda claiming that they have failed to oblige by the CSO standards and laws set by the dictatorship. Among the suspended CSOs is Chapter 4, a legal hub that offers pro-bono legal services to the most wretched of the earth.

Closing CSO is only one act of killing democracy. Not long ago, the last Parliament passed yet another draconian law that illegalizes same-sex relationships.  To mask all these retrogressive laws, Parliament also passed other bogus laws such as jailing, mostly, male sexual offenders for an incredibly harsh term only equivocated by a Taliban lawmaker. In this article, I wish to illuminate how Museveni’s regime has killed democracy and opened a door to a full military dictatorship – or perhaps, post-democracy parlance.

Civil society Organizations are very important in a developing liberal democracy. Civil Society Organizations are understood roughly as that space between the market and the state. It is not part of largely misunderstood political opposition. However, it can be mistaken as one depending on the level of democracy or tolerance of dissent in society.

The proliferation of Civil Society Organizations may demonstrate things – one, that the state is reneging on its duties such that a gap in service exists. Take for instance, CSOs that deal with human rights, or maternal-child mortality prevention shows that these gaps exist. Second, where the market becomes too dominant such that profit-making (high levels of commodification and stratification) trumps over social equity, CSOs may emerge to illuminate such social inequities. There emerges Anti-poverty coalitions, anti-corruption groups, pro-accountability groups etc. Third, in doing the latter two actions, CSO also helps provide employment in a society where a majority of the educated are unemployed or miseducated enough to spend time searching for white-collar jobs.

There are several instances where CSOs have been used and abused. Take, for instance, the fact that foreign interests may wish to inject an alien culture in society to create a consumer market. They make funding available to CSOs to promote that consumer culture. Scholars in this field view CSO as shock absorbers of corporate exploitation when they become recipients of corporate social responsibility activities.  I have previously made attempts to alert the nation that whatever cultural practices that Africans had, the anti-African cultural terrorists pay out people through NGOs to abandon it, only for them to reproduce and commercialize it. Take, for instance, vaginal and body adulterations or decorations. But this discussion is for another article.

The emphasis here is that Mr. Museveni and his minders have lost the cause of liberal democracy by tightening the noose on civil society organizations. Proponents of neoliberalism in Uganda should pay heed because a revolution is inevitable under these circumstances.

At the swearing-in ceremony in 2016, Museveni promised that by 2021, there would be no opposition. When Robert Kyagulanyi’s red-army movement sprung, it took Museveni by surprise because he thought he had succeeded in destroying the opposition. FDC, the strongest and most sober opposition political organization had splintered. Dr. Besigye, its main brand had been isolated using both soft and hard violence. The traditional parties, UPC, CP, and DP had become NRM allies or indulged in internal kitty-cat fights that crippled their effectiveness.

Democracy without an alternative school of thought is called a dictatorship. In the US, we can also say there is a dictatorship in their democracy that is dominated by the Republicans and Democrats. At least, it is a two-party dictatorship. In Uganda, it is a one-party military tyranny characterized by violence, voter bribery, and suppression of human rights as well as the civic space. Seen in another way, both Uganda and the USA are dictatorships. The difference being judicial independence and public participation in the US, while in Uganda, violence, suppression of human rights and liberties predominate.

The implication of closing the CSO space is that alternative spaces for social and political renewal have been quashed. Not long ago, we saw Museveni celebrating how Kyagulanyi and colleagues were brutalized in Arua. In another public appearance, he faked concern over the brutality visited on suspects under UPDF and Police custody. Above all, the bigger statements are seen in the policies of the regime and not the few verbal niceties that numb the mind of its tyranny. The US has demonstrated once again that it is no longer a champion of democracy if it can exploit Africa. No one cares about democracy anymore as everyone is economically strapped in the post-COVID-19 era. Harshly, we must think of a post-democracy world and contend with it!

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