Editorial
Nov 10, 2003
|
The director of the External Security Organisation (Eso) last Friday exhibited rare honesty from a government official when he openly advocated for a free debate on the third term. The Eso boss, David Pulkol, told a national dialogue workshop organised by the Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (Pafo) that Ugandans should debate the third term matter without being stopped by the Police. Pafo is a lobby group opposed to the amendment of the constitution to remove the current two-term presidential limit, a move widely viewed as an attempt by President Yoweri Museveni to stay in office beyond 2006. By the end of 2006 when the next general elections are to be held, Museveni would have ruled the country for 20 years since he shot his way into power in 1986 after waging a five-year guerilla war. Pulkol also blasted the riot police, for among other things spraying teargas at Makerere University students, and constantly dispersing and blocking consultative meetings of members of Parliament. Riot police last month used teargas to disperse a peaceful political debate at Makerere University. An outspoken MP, Mr Aggrey Awori, was forced to flee as police went brutal against the Makerere gathering. There cannot be better words to paint the situation than the ones Pulkol used. The police have been used to commit a lot of crimes against many Ugandans in situations when brutality is most unwarranted. Like Pulkol suggests, the minister of Internal Affairs and police chief should be always taken to task whenever such abuses are meted out against innocent citizens. Parliament has tried its best to bring the executive to book over its excesses against the public. The frequency of occurrence of such abuses calls for a relentless campaign. Each time a public gathering is brutally dispersed, Parliament should stop all other deliberations and demand an explanation from the minister concerned. This way the relevant authorities will be brought to their senses and forced to restrain the police and other state functionaries. Parliament can never and should never pretend to conduct any other business when matters critical to the citizens' inalienable rights and democratic governance are being desecrated in broad daylight. |
� 2003 The Monitor Publications
MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* -------------------------------------------- This service is hosted on the Infocom network http://www.infocom.co.ug
