Who is the �official� govt voice? - Monitor 18/2/2003
Editor
In under two weeks, the Movement Vice Chairman, Moses Kigongo has made headline news with two dramatic statements. He first reprimanded Vice President Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe, other government and Movement officials for their seemingly anti-federalism (read anti-Buganda) comments. Then over the weekend, he warned Movement cadres and state security agencies against torturing members of the opposition.When he criticised the vice president, Mr Kigongo advised the nation to treat Ms Kazibwe�s views as her personal opinions, not the government�s official position on federalism. He asked political leaders to refrain from making statements that may be construed to be belittling of the Buganda Kingdom�s quest for federalism.
On the question of torture and abuse of people who do not support the government, it is refreshing that Mr Kigongo took the more democratic path. He warned that today�s leaders could find themselves before a judge after a change of government, for crimes against the people.
On the face of it, this is positive and might suggest the emergence of a tendency for political tolerance in a Movement regime that has been seen as increasingly draconian.
However, it is only when you stop and really think about Mr Kigongo�s uncharacteristic comments that you realise he does not sound right. This is because, strictly speaking, one could argue that the Movement �system� should not be synonymous with government. In that sense, the question would then be where Mr Kigongo gets the authority to speak for �government�.
Also, Ugandans will ask at what point a government officer�s opinion on a matter of public interest leaves the personal realm and becomes official. It is, therefore, urgent that Mr Kigongo tells us whether he is expressing an opinion or speaking for the Government.
All said, the ordinary citizen on the street is completely confused. And the Movement leadership must be blamed for this confusion because it has allowed overlapping centres of power to flourish. ! For inst ance, you can have a director at the Movement Secretariat who has powers equal to, or in some cases, more than those of a Cabinet member. Then you have the Revenue Protection Services at the Uganda Revenue Authority whose life has been complicated by the State House-connected Special Revenue Police Service.
While Mr Kigongo had better be advised that once you are a public figure, the line between your �official� and personal views is pretty thin, government must also be clear on its ultimate spokesperson.
February 17, 2003 11:25:28
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