Monday, May 26, 2003
Will M-7 Have His Way?
The former vice president, Dr Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, had resigned a day earlier. In the reshuffle, which saw five ministers dropped, long-serving former First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs Eriya Kategaya and former Minister of Local Government Jaberi Bidandi Ssali were dropped.
The two were close confidants of the president and have been in his Cabinet since 1986, albeit in different capacities.
Others dropped include the fire-spitting Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Miria Matembe, Minister in charge of Security, Muruli Mukasa and the Minister of State in charge of Internal Affairs, Sarah Kiyingi.
Matembe, Kategaya and Bidandi were all staunch Movement supporters, yet came out boldly to oppose a third term for the president, saying it would set a bad precedent and plunge the country into chaos.
In spite of their open criticism of some of the Movement's policies, including the ban on political parties, no one expected that Bidandi Ssali and Kategaya would be dropped. To many people, their campaign against a third term for Museveni was a ploy to gauge the public's support for the president.
This is because the two have a large national constituency. Although Bidandi Ssali comes from central Uganda, for example, his nationalistic stand on many controversial issues such as land and "federo" has endeared him even to opposition politicians.
Bidandi Ssali and Kategaya are historicals in the Movement and the only two Cabinet ministers who could tell the president their views without fear. During the last national conference of the Movement in Kyankwanzi in March, it was only Bidandi Ssali who had the courage to stand up and make the point that he was opposed to a third term.
But their continued stay in the Cabinet while at the same time criticising some of the Movement's policies made them a liability to the Movement and to Museveni.
The president had to come out hard on them to discourage others from following their example. To many, the dropping of Bidandi Ssali, Kategaya and Matembe has acted as a warning to others in senior positions who do not support a third term to shut up.
But what is surprising is that in spite of the dropping of Bidandi Ssali and Kategaya, they still retain their powerful positions in the Movement and are key members of the committee appointed by the president to turn the Movement into a political organisation. What is important now is how they will react to their sacking. Whether they decide to join opposition groupings or rally behind those who want reform the Movement from within, there is no doubt that they will have a significant impact.
There is still time before the 2006 presidential election. Will Museveni now have his way?
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