I have not seen or read Munini's article and so cannot say anything about it. I read Mulindwa's article and at first had doubt about it aims or message but on further reading i understood that i could no more information than what was written; that we should respect the president and that even in Canada a broadcast station's license would be 'yanked' if you did what Mwenda on the KFM station in Uganda. Presumably the law about respecting the president or prime minister is written so that it has emergency authority to yank licenses as soon as disrespect occurs. Otherwise the case would have to be investigated and a a charged proffered then depending on the outcome, actions would be taken against the radio station or culprit.
I say that this case would not arise in Canada for several reasons: 1) No Canadian leader has stayed in power the way Museveni has stayed in power in Uganda. Hence, the likelihood of such a leader losing the respect of the media would be very low if not nil. 2) No Canadian leader would have made such statement as Museveni has made after the fatal crash of the presidential helicopter in which a neighboring leader has lost his life. 3) In event that the leader involved himself in a controversial issues as Museveni did, a talk show host can be within his right to challenge his administration through his aides as has happened in Mwenda's case. It was a case in which each side was daring the other one way or another. And the listeners would understand the flow and turn of conversation.
So, I think Mulindwa was not clear in his mind when he decided to write the article. It just did not make the kind of sense he was trying to parley to the readers. The conditions in Canada cannot be compared to the conditions in Uganda at this time.
Onegi pa Obol
We all use freedom of speech but we respect the law.
>>
>> I read the transcript of Andrew Mwenda and some of the statements he
made
>> in that program, Dr Mulera can not make them in Canada waves if he
wants
>> to have a license.
>> I have to be very careful here for Andrew Mwenda's case is soon going
to
>> be before a judge so I cannot debate any of his statements.
>>
>> But I would ask Dr Muniini Mulera to go back and read the transcript of
>> that program, and wonder if he had a radio station in Canada if he
would
>> make such statements on a prime Minister of Canada and see if the CRTC
>> would not yank his license.
>>
>> Freedom of speech does not empower us to disrespect our leaders, and I
>> happen to be one of the people who have opposed the Movement for a very
>> long time, but like it or no
t Yoweri Museveni is a president of Uganda
>> today, and we owe him that respect.
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