18 years of NRM By Raymond Otika Jan 26, 2004
There is only one way to make rat traps work, put more than one bait: a few small ones for encouragement and the other for the kill. This is exactly what the Movement government has used all along to kill democracy. Unfortunately many Ugandans, especially the opposition has fallen victim to this trick since 1986.
In other words, because we have been politically (democracy) starved, Ugandans in the last 17 years have behaved like Ivan Petrovic Pavlov's dogs.
President Museveni
Our minds have been conditioned by our past political experiences so that we have ceased to respond to new developments, but react instead only to our past.
No wonder President Museveni rightfully noted that between peasants and professors in his government and the opposition politicians, none has a vision for this country. He sees inappropriate and obsequious behaviour each time he dangles the idea of opening up for party politics.
Many are now excited about the dialogue being fronted by some Cabinet members without seriously asking why now and not 15 years ago. The record shows that there has been no honesty as far as the democratisation process in Uganda is concerned.
Going to the bush in 1981 was a fraud; the extension of NRA/NRM from 1989 was a fraud. Some compositions of the 1995 Constitution are fraudulent. The 1996 presidential election was a fraud and the 2000 referendum on political system was a fraud.
The 2001 presidential election was a fraud (court rullings)
What is the major difference between a system and organisation? Evoking Article 255 of the constitution on referenda for purposes of manipulating ill-informed village folk, is extreme-rightwing populist and plebiscite instrumentalism.
Constant reference to "the people," uninformed as they are, for selfish ends is manipulative, sinful and politically immoral, Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler used it to the detriment of their countries.
The 2002 Political Parties and Organisations Bill (POB) was a fraud, and finally the bid to amend Article 105 (2) of the constitution to allow unlimited presidential term is the mother of all frauds.
After all is said and done, there is a dark secret in the Museveni camp. So far all the political and economic programmes offered by the NRM leadership are all designed to avoid reaching any solutions for this country except to satisfy the avarice of few top dogs.
The government, through its agencies like the Cabinet, Movement Secretariat carefully select its representatives to form committees or commissions that would have a hard time agreeing on anything with the opposition side. So far all the Committees and Commissions including the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) and all the Commissions of Inquiries are merely for appearance's sake, a public relations scam to get valuable public and international credit.
The honest and unsuspecting members of such committees bust their behinds to make serious recommendations and write documents, which unfortunately are ignored. Games should be left for children but not politics that affect the lives of millions of people.
Museveni's appointment of that 25-member committee made up of people who are consummate NRM hard-liners to talk to the opposition is the kind of game we are talking about. Why 25 and not five or ten members? Like before, the opposition will lose their shirts when it comes to voting on any issue.
As far as the constitution is concerned, why fix what is not broken? The best way forward to deal with a fraudulent government is non-cooperation. Do not debate the third or 'sad term' or amend the constitution, leave the whole thing to natural process, come 2006, Museveni will go home.
Tampering with the presidential term limits is like tampering with a car travelling at 80 km/hr on a poor road; people will get killed. The opposition should only deal with the POB in order to gain their political legitimacy. It will be foolhardy to enter into dialogue with this government because it is a government of greed, violence and non-cooperation.
There is no more good reason for any sensible Ugandan to trust this government and its policies. It demonised political parties for the last 17 years, but was the first to register its NRM-O, what a vindictive hypocrisy.
Look at the situation in northern and northeastern Uganda; they are NGO countries not part of Uganda. Uganda stops at Karuma Bridge. For the last 17 years the people there, are literally being dehumanised. They are being cannibalised, and not only by the rebels, but also the "grain dealers" through the World Food Programme (WFP), who supply just enough to keep the victims alive to guarantee the next supply.
The untouchable Ministry of Defence that maximizes its budget at whim and classifies it is part of the cannibalism. How? Some briefcase NGO schemers with their four wheel-drive cross-country vehicles and cameras, ever ready for the most miserable but strategic picture to appeal for the next funding, likewise subsist on that tragedy.
The northern MPs' recent appeal and frustration because of worsening situation in the IDP camps, and walk-out of parliament met with cynicism and insults. Museveni and his sycophants blasted them for being rebel sympathisers.
Giving the present leadership another term in office is like giving more food to parasites, which follow their victims to the grave. Talk about vision, even a war criminal like Charles Taylor the former president of Liberia stepped down to save his poor countrymen from perpetual suffering.
Woe unto dumb Ugandans, stiff-necked politicians and sycophants; listen to the voice of your conscience and that of the suffering multitude of people.
Opening the eyes wide, swearing a thousand times and threatening prosecution and death while quoting the Bible, and talking tough, calling critics dead batteries will not save this country. It is true patriotism and not greed, raw power and fear that will save this country from free fall. Clinging to power and dirty wealth is foolishness; it is chasing the wind; a waste of time. One by one emptiness and darkness will swallow us all sooner than later.
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© 2004 The Monitor Publications
Mitayo Potosi
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