By Hussein Bogere
Jan 28 - Feb 3, 2004
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This is Week Two of our series of articles discussing political transition in Uganda; what is on the ground and the direction the country should be taking as we get closer to the end of President Museveni�s last term in office.
Started in 1954, the Democratic Party (DP) had a vision of �championing the cause for freedom and human justice�. This was reflected in its motto, �Truth and Justice�. This probably explains why some people take the party to be so soft for Ugandan politics. Mr Joseph Kasolo, a civil engineering diploma holder from Luwero started the party. Other founding members included Messrs Anselm Semakula Musoke, Zakaria Babukiika, Sebastian Bukenya Kibuuka, Alphonse Ntale and Benedicto Kiwanuka Kagimu. While most parties agitated for independence solely, DP went a step further by formulating an ideology based on fundamental human rights and social justice. The DP won the 1961 general elections, which saw Benedict Kiwanuka become the Prime Minister. These were the first general elections in the country. DP won 44 seats in Parliament, the Uganda People�s Congress (UPC) 35, Uganda National Congress (UNC) one and the other two seats went to Asians who failed to chose a party.
They opted to join the winner of the elections. In his inaugural speech, Kiwanuka declared that �Uganda had virtually become independent, and there will never be a turn back as the key used to open the independence door had been lost and it had no spare part.� DP�s win did not go down well with the British who preferred UPC. �They did not want Ben Kiwanuka to take power because he was a Catholic, as opposed to a Protestant whom they preferred,� said Mzee Boniface Byanyima at his home in Ruti, Mbarara on November 27, 2003. According to Simon Mwebe and Anthony Sserubiri in their book Byanyima said that Buganda region was not yet ready for political pluralism in the �60s. �Kabaka Yekka (KY) was formed, with the sole purpose of frustrating Kiwanuka,� he said. The British wanted to create the impression that in DP competing Subsequently, KY and UPC joined in what was later to become an �unholy alliance� for the sole purpose of defeating DP, which was a republican party as opposed to the monarchical sentiments at Mengo, the seat of the Kabaka. Thence the DP did not have a prayer in the 1961 elections with the combined forces of UPC and KY ranged against it. Note, however, that the transfer of power from the DP to the UPC/KY But because there was no coalition guarantee between UPC and KY, Obote later turned against the Kabaka, culminating in the Kabaka Crisis of 1966. Later on, Obote was able to buy off the DP MPs with the only exception being Byanyima, Latim, Gaspari, Dr Obonyo and Okello, who refused to sell their political souls. This seemed to have been one of weakness of the party as more faithful took the same route of crossing the floor, so to speak, and joining the UPC government. Ssemo at the helm Dr Paul Kawanga Ssemogere has led this party since the 1980 when the last delegates� conference was held. He came to DP�s helm after the assassination of Kiwanuka by dictator Idi Amin�s soldiers in 1972. At that conference, Dr Ssemogerere told the delegates �there is no Twenty four years later, Dr Ssemogerere is still the party�s President General. This has led his critics to assume that Ssemogerere is clinging onto power. This must be frustrating for a man who criticises President Museveni for hanging onto power since 1986. But according to Mr Jude Mbabaali, DP�s executive and public The NDC is the supreme organ of the party. However, there are problems with this. First, the delegates� conference is composed of representatives at sub-county level, totalling 1,531. According to Article 269 (b) of the Uganda Constitution, it is illegal for political parties to hold delegates� conferences. Yet it is through these conferences that party leaders can be elected. This can only mean that for as long as the NDC does not meet, Ssemogerere will continue being DP�s chief. Article 269 of the Uganda constitution restricts all party activities including the holding of meetings. Secondly, since 1984 when the last conference was called, the In all the new districts that have been formed since the Movement took over power in 1986, the DP has not officially opened new offices. It is this same delegates� conference that has the mandate to elect a new party leader. Mbabaali reveals that �DP has no representatives in the new districts like Katakwi, Wakiso, Yumbe, among others.� He adds that districts like Wakiso are crucial because DP reportedly enjoys a big following there. He also highlighted that the National Council (NC), under Chapter 5(15) of their constitution is mandated to fill vacant posts. The NC is composed of all district chairmen, all members of the parliamentary group of the party and all National Executive Members (NEC). The NC has only 24 members at present. The new districts need to elect their chairmen. It is thus not surprising that DP still has old-timers like Ssemogerere, Damiano Lubega, Ssebana Kizito at its helm. The Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) is trying to bridge this age gap. The UYD UYD started operating in 1995 at Makerere University after evolving from students discussion groups, and it intended to embrace all youths opposed to the Movement system, according to its chairman, Mr Muwanga-Kivumbi. It does not have aims and ideologies of its own, but it was coined around the African National Congress� youth wing in South Africa. After the promulgation of the 1995 Constitution, it came in as a However, the DP constitution does not cater for UYD though it talks of a national youth organisation. There are proposals to try and harmonise the two. For instance, Article 24 of the DP Constitution, which provides for a DP national youth organisation could be re-written to read that �UYD shall be the national youth organisation of the party and shall be open to all persons between the ages of 14 - 35.� �It was formed by visionary people. We did not want to get involved in DP conflicts,� he said during an interview at the parliamentary library on November 24, 2003. However, eight years down the road, they find themselves knee deep in DP politics. �Some top DP officials want to use UYD to settle their personal This has created more divisions within the youth wing. The Movement has also worked to destroy this nascent force by compromising some of its former leading lights like �..?Luzige, Lt. Ssimbwa, Lt Tugume, and Muwanga-Lutaaya. Factions in UYD The current split in the ranks of UYD is blamed on a weekly newspaper the group started in 1997. The Microscope newspaper was a pilot project through which the group intended to further its agenda. Because of disagreements on how the project�s finances were to be They replaced him with Mohammed Kezaala, an LCIII chairman in Jinja. They also demoted UYD Speaker, Dr Lulume Bayiga and replaced him with Steven Kaggwa Kyalwazi. Several members were enraged by this decision. Today there are effectively two UYD groups; the Mabikke and the Samuel Lubega-Muwanga Kivumbi faction. The Mabikke group has attempted to undermine veteran DP leaders who are in bed with the Muwanga group. The Mabikke group finds sanctuary in Al-Hajji Nasser Ntege Ssebaggala, who is at odds with the Ssemogerere-Damiano-Ssebaana caucus. The Muwanga-Kivumbi group operates mainly from the DP headquarters while the Mabikke group only goes there for news conferences. Such is the situation in the UYD ranks as DP prepares for 2006. The time for choosing the new party leadership might even be more challenging as each UYD faction fronts its candidate. The Mabike group might front Bank of Uganda�s Emmanuel Kalule while the Muwanga faction is likely to go with the Ssemogerere-Ssebaana choice. UYD and DP�s old guard �Ssemogerere et al are against the young, more aggressive and ambitious youth. Ssemogerere has failed to read the writing on the wall that it is about time he relinquished power to someone younger,� said a DP insider. The mainstream UYD is opposed to Dr Ssemogerere and Damiano Lubega. �As long as DP is still disorganised so will UYD because the leaders are using it as a proxy,� observed the insider. Mainstream DP feels threatened by UYD because it has provided the platform for the likes of Ssebagala, Kampala Mayor Ssebaana. It also managed to sponsor some MPs. And at the moment, it is trying to launch a women�s league, a constituency that has been ignored by DP. DP�s moment dawns With the 2006 presidential elections drawing closer, DP believe that their turn to govern Uganda has come. �We do not have any bad history, we do not have any blood on our hands,� said Mbabaali. That may give them an edge over UPC. However, DP realises that they cannot go it alone. That is why there is a need for a coalition akin to that of 2001. �We stand a great chance, people are dissatisfied with the Movement because it is corrupt, poverty seems to be here forever, and there is excessive expenditure on the part of government.� Mzee Byanyima, a veteran of the party and sitting National Chairman, cautions though that the young Turks should not fight to be in power, but to dislodge Museveni. �The leadership of the party has contributed grossly to its current state,� observed Byanyima. �The leadership has been bought by various governments. In the 1980s, Obote bought Basil Bataringaya whereas recently, Museveni bought Paul Ssemogerere, Robert Kitariko, Joseph Mulenga and Evaristo Nyanzi. There is no way one can join a government that abuses the very cause they advocate,� he said. It was not until Ssemogerere left government in 1995 that he began to openly oppose government�s insistence on resolving the 17-year-old war in the north militarily. To some people, this showed a lack of seriousness. They wondered why he had to wait to leave government before speaking out. �If DP leaders had stuck together, things would probably be The current leadership of Ssemogerere has also been cited as one of the reasons the party is lagging behind. He is considered �too soft� for the roller coaster ride of Ugandan politics by friend and foe. He comes from the old school, which believes in peace and high moral standards. This has rendered him a liability to the party. In fact, some party faithful hold the unflattering view that he should have �resigned yesterday�. Among the blunders Ssemogerere is accused of having committed is his going into bed with the Movement government between 1986 - 1995. This was seen as a strategic mistake because there was no formal agreement to that effect. Later in 1996, some DP members say the party committed another blunder by coalescing with UPC in a bid to oust the Movement. The coalition was seen as a contrast in ideologies because DP sees itself as a party advocating for peace. UPC, apparently, does not enjoy such credentials. Despite all this, Mabikke is positive that DP still has the goodwill of many Ugandans. Mzee Byanyima shares the same vision: �People are looking for an alternative, and if DP keeps the truth, which is the survival kit, then there should not be any worry. But first, they need to do away with Ssemogerere.� DP boasts of the fact that it is the only party to have handed over power to another party peacefully in Uganda. This happened after the British connived with UPC to dislodge DP from power before the expiry of its five-year-term. Coalition. Public opinion generally holds that no single party can dislodge the Movement from power. This feeling makes the case for them to co-operate like in 1996 and 2001. �But first, we need to talk to the Movement as a party or as a unit. But it�s better as a unit,� Mbabaali said. However, co-operation has its downside. Byanyima believes that UPC leaders are still not to be trusted. Then such an alliance has always played right into the hands of the Movement. For instance the use of the Luwero skulls by the Movement in 1996 to excite suspicion that Dr Obote, a disliked figure in Buganda where DP enjoys most support, would be returning. Any coalition will present the complexity of choosing a single candidate. Gulu Municipality MP and DP supporter, Norbert Mao has declared his intentions to stand. Others are nursing similar ambitions. According to Byanyima, DP must look for strong men like Hajji Nasser Ssebagala who is currently pursuing studies in England. He said: �He is a brave and strong man who can command support.� Byanyima also add: �the person to succeed Ssemogerere must be �incorruptible, honest, morally upright, and follow DP�s motto, �Truth and Justice.� But for now the party has to grapple with the UYD factor, together with the Francis Bwengye dilemma. Bwengye is seen as a turncoat, who was bribed by government. The man rejects this allegation and in turn accuses Ssemogerere of weakness and is demanding that the old guard stands down. DP�s vision for Uganda includes promotion of agro-based industry, introduction of free education from primary and federalism. It also prefers that the war in north be resolved politically. On paper this is a party with good intentions but it appears its internal weaknesses will remain the foremost threat to its attempts to win state power. In a sense it can be described as the unwilling party. |
� 2004 The Monitor Publications
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