-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [rwanda-l] Museveni to open up for Multiparty sysyem From: "H G" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tue, February 25, 2003 5:29 pm To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Netters, Is Museveni's move going to ingriguant some change of heart to his counterpart in Rwanda? If things stay the way they are, I will say No. No until, perhaps, after the first mandat as president ( self) elected. The reason I say this is because President Kagame follows, systematically, president Museveni footsteps at the letter. And this should not come as a surprise since the only political figure he has been around for so long is Museveni. As matter of fact, before the split on the management of Congo's minerals, president Kagame himself( as well as all those who grow up in Uganda) used to call Museveni his/their cousin. That is why Kagame's administrative institutions were set up similar to Uganda's. Here are some examples: Both leaders come to power after a military victory. After that, they set up " a broad based government" whereby people of different political persuasions would be brought together to rebuild the country"( so as their say). Both contries have NEC( National Executive Concil). Every political decision is communicated/debated in this INVISIBLE/unkown and self-nominated high level organization.This is the truly but yet unoficial highest organe of the UMURYANGO-RPF. President Museveni managed to maintain himself on power thru this system of " broad based government"or FORUM ,where all the NEC decisions( nomination, gvt reshaffles, new institutions, etc..), are communicated to the "so-called" parteners( abasangirangendo) for execution. Wherever pesident Museveni has succeded, Kagame has to prove that he is capable of. That is why, president Kagame is taking this coming elections in his own hands. He wants/needs to prove to his Ugandan counterpart that he no longer a "boy". That is why will be self-elected president no MATTER WHAT. NAHO UBUNDI HAZAPFA UMUNTU. After his first mandat as a ( self)elected president, Kagame will be forced to shift to multi-party system and his explaination will be ( similar to Museveni's) "The people who have opened their markets to us are the ones who want us to open political space to multi party politics," . Now, another question: As rwandans, are we ready to endure what we are going thru for another five years: persecution, emprisonment, violation of human rights, killings... as well as poverty? The obvious answer is No. We need to find way to have president Kagame be forced to change his agenda before it is too late. Can we do it? I think the answer is Yes. As the saying goes: Where there is a Will, there is a Way. President Kagame can be elected president, I don't have any problem with that. My only concern, it got to be done within democratic standards: set up democratic system that is fair to all , fair justice, separation of power( executif, legistlatif and justice), fair election, ... This is my wish and this is what I fight for: a democratic system, that is fair to all rwandan children. HG === Museveni Was Firm As Movt Diehards Opposed Opening Up Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Monitor (Kampala) February 22, 2003 Posted to the web February 24, 2003 Andrew M. MwendaKampala On January 28, 2003, President Yoweri Museveni declared that Uganda should open politics to multi party competition. Sunday Monitor talked to eleven of the twenty two people who attended the historic meeting, and through their private notes taken during the meeting, we have been able to build a fair picture of the debate that ensued. On January 28, 2003, President Yoweri Museveni made history when he recommended that the Movement should turn itself into a political party and open up political space for other political parties to compete against the movement. In spite of protestations from movement hardliners in the meeting against this change, the president was firm and resolute that the country is ripe for change. The president made the recommendation during a meeting of the adhoc committee set up by the movement's National Executive Council (NEC) in Kyankwanzi on December 18, 2001. The committee was mandated by NEC to "examine the performance of the movement system in light of the current political trends/developments, including calls to open up to political party pluralism with a view to guide the political future of this country." This was the third time the committee was meeting the president in a space of only one month. When the discussion was concluding page 66 of the report where eleven points are listed as the justification for allowing multi party politics, the president called for a halt. He said he had a twelfth point to make in favour of political pluralism - i.e. that the movement needs to purify itself. Someone asked: "what do you mean by that Mr. President?" And Museveni began his long explanation. According to inside sources, President Museveni said that when the National Resistance Movement came to power in 1986, it decided on a broad based government whereby people of different political persuasions would be brought together to rebuild the country. However, Museveni said, over time some people began to say they do not want to belong to the movement anymore. "I gave people like [Democratic Party leader Paul] Ssemogere every responsibility yet they went ahead to undermine the movement even when they were in cabinet and later resigned," the president reportedly said, "Should we continue with such people? Let us leave them to go. This is time for "Okwejako" (to free ourselves). We want them, they do not want us. Let them go." Then the president made his pitch. He said the fundamental consideration was not political but economic. He said the country has registered impressive economic growth over the years through good relations with development partners and local and foreign investors. He added that the United States and European Union had both opened their markets to Uganda (and African) products. "The people who have opened their markets to us are the ones who want us to open political space to multi party politics," the president said in his passionate appeal, "We should not take decisions that will scare away investors because if there is disinvestment, it will take years and years before we can convince them to return. So we need to make a tactical compromise in order to realise our strategic objectives." President Museveni reportedly told the meeting that Uganda is not like China. "China can afford to say 'no' to them and get away with it. But we are a small and poor country. Here we are with both internal political agitation for multi party politics and external pressure. So let us open up as a matter of strategy since we cannot face them like China, in order to let our economic transformation to continue undisturbed." The president said "the movement is still strong in the country. Let us turn the movement into a political party." Then two of the committee members - Can. John Bitunguramye from Kisoro and one Ezra Kikuli fro Bushenyi warned that opening up may reignite the historical antagonism between Ugand aPeoples' Congress (UPC) and the Democratic Parties. The two were very specific to their local situation i.e. the politics in Kisoro and Bushenyi in their contribution. "Let them organise because we shall also go to the grassroots and counter organise," was the president's reply. The president went on to give the example of the ruling party in Tanzania, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) or Revolutionary Party saying that in spite of opening up to multi party politics, CMM controls nearly 90 percent of the seats in parliament. Then another committee member, Tarsis Kanwegyere, argued that opening up the political space will cause intense sectarian political rivalries leading to chaos. President Museveni shot back saying that will not be possible because he (the president) is now building a strong and professional army to ensure against such an eventuality. "What could perhaps happen is political disintegration of the movement into different factions as is happening in Zambia today," the president said, "But that would be a new kind of political struggle we would have to undertake in order to realise our vision." Kabwegyere then insisted that opening up to political parties carries the potential to break up the local council system. The president said that could be partly correct, but if the movement organised well, it would stop such a development. In fact, sources at the meeting say that each time someone opposed the return to political pluralism the president took them on personally with counter arguments. Eriya Kategaya, Francis Ayume, and Bidandi Ssali remained silent most of the time as the president did the job for them. The president then said because the movement is in the majority now, it needs a "double pronged strategy." "First, the movement should strengthen itslef through okwejako (i.e. by ridding itself of non loyal members)," President Museveni said, "And second, we remove restrictions on those who do not want to be in the movement to organise independently and freely. This will allow the majority in the movement to consolidate without appearing to be dictatorial in the eyes of the western powers to whom we have focused our exports." Betty Aketch said that if multi parties return, many people in northern Uganda will abandon the movement and go back to political parties - UPC and DP. Then Bidandi interjected here saying that statistics from previous LC 111 elections in the north show that movement candidates won more than 50 percent. Bidandi added that in places where multi party candidates won, it was because they - UPC, DP, Reform Agenda etc united against the movement. Apparently, the president was able to convince the rest that the committee should recommend to NEC opening up of political space. Then the debate turned on how this opening up should be realised. Three options were discussed: to take the matter to the Constitutional Review Commission chaired by Prof. Sempebwa, or to amend the Political Organisations Act which would automatically phase out article 269 of the constitution or to do it through a referendum. Maj. Rolland Kakooza-Mutale said that there should be no change unless the people at the grassroots are involved. He warned that the movement would compromise itself if it usurped the powers of the people by recommending multi party politics without consulting its supporters. He said if any change is to come, it should be through a referendum. The referendum attracted the least support, but members agreed to table these options for adopted by NEC. The president emerged from the meeting apparently as a hero, and has now won the hearts of many. President Museveni needs three announcements to remove the rug from under the feet of his opponents and tower over the country in political height. First, to support opening up which he has done. Secondly he needs to announce that he "will not seek nor accept a third term," and do this before parliament, NEC, the movement conference and in the state of the nation address. The third will be to institute a legitimate and transparent process of selecting his successor within the movement without being seen to be fronting a proxy. In the president follows this path, his political fortunes will be built in stone and concrete. First, with his new stand, he has caught the multi party opposition on the offside. For long, their only agenda has been multi party politics. What will be their next platform? They will be forced now to adopt a position on alternative policy proposals, an area where they are very weak. Secondly, the Reform Agenda was borne of intolerance within the movement and now this raison detre has been undermined. How will they reposition themselves? Within the movement and in parliament, the president has overwhelming support for his new stance. The hardliners have gone back and are determined to fight the president. Sources say they are organising the grassroots to oppose any move to political pluralism. But if the president remains firm, he has overwhelming support from the senior ranks of the movement, enough to galvanise the country and win a straight victory in any referendumHelp STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT To Post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! 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