Monday, October 13, 2003
Pluralism: Is M-7 Sincere?
The national political commissar, Dr Crispus Kiyonga, announced that he was working on a political "road map" whereby members of banned political parties would be invited to take part in the transition to multiparty politics.
If what the political commissar said is true, then there are many reasons to celebrate this change of heart among the government.
It is the first time since 1986 that the Movement has openly recognised that opposition parties have something to offer the country, after all. In the past, there has been too much venom and division, which did not help the country.
The concept of the Movement system contained a major flaw from the start. Much as it may have helped to bring about a badly needed transformation in state structures such as the Local Councils, on the whole, it has not proved to be the best system of governance.
For a system to be considered a success, it must be acceptable to all members of society; it must become a platform that those with different ideas are willing to share. It must create a sense of ownership in society and possess inbuilt stability in times of transition.
Such a system also means that when a president is elected from any party, even members of the losing parties should be willing to work with that president, because they all realise that he got the post fairly.
In the 17 years that the Movement has ruled Uganda, it has suppressed all peaceful and legitimate methods of opposition. Tellingly, it failed to suppress an obviously illegal and murderous opposition group, the Lord's Resistance Army.
The Movement has spent much of its time fending off accusations that it is promoting public vice, especially corruption. There have also been many complaints that the Movement is promoting regionalism.
Ideally, a government ought to spend public resources doing public work and not defending its own legitimacy. It is up to it to prove that its overtures to the opposition are genuine.
It can do this by distancing itself from the current constitutional review process, and bringing the northern war to an end through dialogue. It should also, for good measure, close its entire illegal detention system, including the infamous "safe houses."
If Kiyonga's overture turns out to be another "see-us-being-tolerant" farce with the aim of ruling indefinitely, it will not win over any of the opposition members.
Uganda right now is in a situation where there should be genuine give and take on the part of the parties and the Movement. No one should have the monopoly to decide the future of the Pearl of Africa. Uganda belongs to all of us, those who subscribe pluralism and those who cherish the Movement system.
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