By Emmanuel N. Mugarura & Mercy Nalugo
Jan 20, 2004
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Everyone has a vision KAMPALA – A former Cabinet minister has said that President Museveni should retire at the end of his term in 2006. Speaking on CBS radio on Sunday, former Local Government minister Bidandi Ssali said Mr Museveni has done a lot for the country – but that there is no reason for him to seek a third term. He literally said that even a good dancer leaves the floor. “Even for the simplest tasks there is a stop,” Mr Bidandi said, in reference to the fact that Museveni’s last term in office runs out in 2006. “Those who are asking for Museveni to stay after 2006 are trying to protect their jobs,” he added. “Most of them have nothing to do after the President has retired.” This is the first time Bidandi is expressly saying that his former boss must quit in 2006. The former minister opposed proposals to lift the Constitutional two-term limit on the presidency – and said there was unanimous approval of the limits during the Constituent Assembly that wrote the 1995 Constitution. “Where were those people who are saying we change the Constitution to remove term limits?” Bidandi asked. Is history repeating itself? Bidandi, who was dramatically sacked in the May 2003 Cabinet reshuffle after he began opposing the ‘third term’, said it is not the first time government critics are sacked in Uganda. He compared his sacking – and that of Cabinet colleagues Miria Matembe and Eriya Kategaya – to the 1964 UPC delegates conference in Gulu where those opposed to then President Milton Obote’s position were sacked from the party and later jailed. “When we came from Kyankwazi, those opposed to the Museveni line were sacked. Kategaya, Miria were all sacked for opposing the so-called official line,” Bidandi said. The former minister also pointed out that, like in 1967, when Obote threw out some of his political allies, people who campaigned for Museveni in the 2001 presidential election are being prosecuted and might end up in prison. “Everyone knows the role [Brig. Henry] Tumukunde played in the elections, but he is now facing the court martial; is history repeating itself?” he asked. Bidandi poured scorn on the new cadres within the Movement who insult its historical members. “We in the Movement know that Kategaya is the number two in the Movement; he has never been involved in any scandals. Who are you to abuse him? What is an RDC to Kategaya?” he said. He said Museveni and Kategaya are brothers, inseparable and will make up at an appropriate time. View on review report He said there were high chances of manipulating the report after government stopped The Monitor from publishing details of the report through a court injunction late last year. “But this kind of blindfold cannot help,” Bidandi said, adding that he had no respect for the final report. Who has vision? Bidandi also told the radio listeners that nobody has a monopoly over a vision for the country. “As we head for the 2006 elections, we should not talk of vision in terms of a personality but a vision for parties,” Bidandi said. “We all have a vision. Democratic Party has a vision; Uganda Peoples Congress and the NRM all have visions,” he said. In November last year, Museveni said he had not identified anyone with a vision to lead the country. Speaking of Museveni, Bidandi said: “My boss has his strong points but he also has weak points. I used to give him 70 percent¼but now I am giving him 65 percent.” |
© 2004 The Monitor Publications
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