The UK just suspended it's Parliament for five weeks in order to force a no-deal Brexit. It is worth noting that had this suspension been done in an African country, all European countries and the US, the countries that have usurped for themselves the title of "international community", would have immediately issued letters of stern condemnation starting with Britain itself as was the case when Uganda suspended Parliament in 1971. Why are all these so-called "democracy-loving countries" silent when it's Britain doing the same? As the Queen of England in connivance with UK's newly imposed Prime Minister Boris Johnson (he wasn't elected by the people) decided to suspend the British Parliament, the sophisticated English term that they are using in trying to make this dictatorial political move palatable to the people, is the word "Prorogation". The Cambridge dictionary defines prorogation as "To stop the activities of a Parliament without dissolving it." The dictionary quickly adds that "Prorogations should not be called for political purposes." Like trying to ensure a no-deal Brexit for example, right? The only thing that holds Britain from being an absolute Monarchy is it's Parliament. Meanwhile, I cannot help but recall how Britain delibwrately demonized Idi Amin for "prorogating" the Ugandan Parliament in 1971, even when the Parliament that the African leader suspended clearly deserved the suspension. For the record, that Ugandan Parliament had been the rubber-stamp of little-known dictator Milton Obote for five brutal years. Filled with his political sycophants and cronies, dictator Obote had used the Ugandan legislature to approve his overthrow of the legitimate President of independence president Sir Edward Muteesa in 1966. Obote had also used the same Parliament to change the Constitution to suit his political ambitions and quash political decent. He used the Parliament to declare himself president, grant himself all executive/dictatorial powers, abolish traditional leaders, suspend the judiciary, suspend all political parties except his own, (thereby ensuring that only his political cronies run the entire Parliament), he had also used the Parliament to jail and torture all his political opponents, and had also used it to declare martial law across the country where all political activities were banned. That is the Parliament that Idi Amin immediately suspended in 1971 when he took over militarily from dictator Milton Obote. Clearly Amin had all the legitimate political reasons to do so. Today, following the Prorogation that is unfolding in the colonial masters kitchen in the UK, one would have expected the Commonwealth (the organization that unites all former British colonies) to stand up and hold an extraordinary meeting to condemn this disturbing, unbecoming, undemocratic political development happening in London, the heart of the Commonwealth organization of all places. Somehow Britain can protest "in the strongest terms possible"when a former colony suspends it's Parliament, but everyone is quiet when Britain does the same. Where is the fraternity and reciprocity in support of our beloved comrades in the British Parliament. There must be some selfish ideological deficiencies in the leadership and parliaments of the former colonies. Actually the Parliament of Uganda is scheduled to hold the 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) from 22nd to 29th September 2019 in Uganda. Right at the time the British Parliament will still be suspended. Obviously this is the most appropriate forum and timely opportunity to raise concerns about the Queens unsolicited dictatorship against a Commonwealth Parliament. The least that I expect the Commonwealth parliamentarians to do is rise together in support of parliamentary democracy, confront the political coup taking place in London, and basically defend one of their own comrade parliaments from monarchial carnage. However it turns out that the unelected Queen of England is also the self-proclaimed unelected head of the Commonwealth itself, and for life. Thereby making this seemingly prestigious organization actually turn out to be everything Banana republic in structure, head and reporting line. Clearly there is nothing democratic in it's leadership selection process. Her only legitimacy is the persisting ideological legacy of global empire, a form of colonial white supremacism and it's disturbing brutal history against indeginous people's around the world. Furthermore, the Ugandan Constitution of 1995 (as amended) is clear that the East African nation must not be part of any undemocratic institution. For example the Commonwealth. So why even hold it's summit on Ugandan soil? It's unconstitutional to do so here. Makes one wonder how all our chest-thumping self-proclaimed constitutionalists in this country are hiding their tiny heads in the sand when the so-called "sacred Constitution" is being blatantly violated. Oh I forgot! Their quack beliefs are just bullshit self-awarded credentials. We all know that nobody elected Mme Elizabeth to be Queen of England, and nobody elected her to be life head of the Commonwealth either. Therefore the post-colonial union is dictatorship in flesh, essence, head and form? Now look at the good lady suspending the British people's Parliament in broad daylight, in 2019, and arguing that "Prorogation" is all legal. Just like slavery was legal. And colonialism was legal. Until someone stood up against the barbarity.
Written by Hussein Lumumba Amin Friday August 30th 2019 Kampala, Uganda.
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