Assassinations no longer necessary
Editorial
Oct 30, 2003
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It is just as well that Dr James Rwanyarare has reported the beefing up of Dr Milton Obote�s security in his Zambian exile. Recently, the ex-president claimed that somebody was planning to �kidnap, torture and dispose of him�. These death threat claims were greeted with concern in some quarters while other people sniggered at the possibility that the old man had finally lost his marbles and was now hallucinating. Assuming he seriously believes his life was in danger and that there are credible indications a plot has been hatched to dispatch him, the question we must be asking is who stands to benefit from his demise? Here you have an aging former President. When you look closely, the man carries no political weight beyond the nostalgic allure of his time in power. It is true his name has been invoked by both the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) faithful and government whenever it has suited their purposes but let us face it, the man hardly presents any threat today. An attempt to kill him can only be interpreted in cynical terms by a cabal of political journeymen and women whose sole ambition is to stir unnecessary trouble. But parallel to this is the possibility that Obote and his party could be blackmailing their political opponents for obvious reasons. If this is the case, then they have to understand that their attempt to be funny has fallen flat on its face. If it is true the UPC hoped to obtain exposure with these allegations, then they must be told off in no uncertain terms. Our country is going through a delicate process as those in power seek to reach an acceptable agreement with the opposition on the way forward. The country is right now exploring ways and means to relieve itself of 17 years of one-party rule and must not be distracted by controversial utterances. In times like these you do not want to get people excited without justifiable cause. It would be a reflection of a fairly high level of political immaturity if the country has been led up the garden path on this one. Let it be made clear to whoever is interested that assassinations have lost their shine as a method of achieving or controlling power; they lie buried in a by-gone era and should not be resurrected. |
� 2003 The Monitor Publications
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