Picture: As the British Parliament was formally suspended yesterday evening for political reasons, Her Majesty sent in someone named Black Rod. The person responsible for controlling access to the British Parliament. Black Rod showed up in the House of Commons, had an actual black rod (as shown here), declared the Parliament suspended, and saw that Members of Parliament left the premises.
Uganda is hosting the Commonwealth Parliaments Conference this month from 22nd to 29th September 2019. The organizers are all over the local media mostly talking periferal issues like the prestige of hosting the conference and possible benefits to the local economy (increased honourable customers for local hotels, restaurants, tour buses, general publicity for the country as a tourism destination...etc). While these are definitely critical economic growth activities in a poor economy that is currently wallowing at around 70% youth unemployment rates, growing inequality, growing insecurity, disturbing impunity, slithering corruption across the board and soaring senseless killings including abductions, disappearances, serial murders of religious clerics, foreign investors, women and local businessmen, mysterious state torture houses that just yesterday saw parliamentary democracy denied entry to, and disturbing political assassinations that have shocked the eggs of the nation in recent dark years, the organizers are not discussing any substantive political or economic agenda that will be debated in the summit, and neither are they saying what concrete policy products the people of the Commonwealth stand to gain from the conference itself. Following the interviews and related articles that I have seen and read in the local media, the organizers are increasingly sounding like holding a conference that is ideologically and substantively empty. Neither have I heard any plans to raise timely important political concerns like the defense of parliamentary democracy as the Queen of England sends in Black Rod to suspend the UK Parliament in Westminster amidst public protests around Britain and in the House of Commons. Remember that the Commonwealth is an international (colonial) congregation whose countries are for example amongst the most affected in the world by issues like climate change and global warming. Where is that legislative debate in the agenda? What about inter-commonwealth legislation and agreements on trade, development or tarrifs for example? And what can we expect on all such timely matters in the final declaration at the end of the summit? The theme of the Kampala conference is supposed to be the evolution of parliamentary democracy. We therefore are in the best forum to discuss what is happening against the British Parliament, and we are therefore also in the best position to offer a statement of concern and condemnation on this disturbing matter that touches at the heart of the very purpose of this conference. The evolution of parliamentary democracy. An area where Uganda has seen it's own black rods enter Parliament last year and brutally arrest members on the floor of the August House just as debate on the questionable lifting of presidential age limits from the Constitution for selfish reasons was at its peak. To their credit, a few days ago on 2nd and 3rd September, the 50th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference Africa region was held in Zanzibar where despite enjoying the beautiful African touristic scenery and plush amenities, they at least discussed the role of information technology in fostering democracy and developing local evonomies. They pointed out computer illiteracy and the lack of internet connectivity in many area's across Africa as a serious hurdle to overcome and discussed possibilities to address the problem. In order to avoid the upcoming Kampala Commonwealth parliaments conference becoming a politically void event, it might be necessary for all citizens of the Commonwealth and the media to not only follow the substance of it's debates, but also voice their concerns. However, to the best of my knowledge, just like during colonialism, there is no known platform for direct feedback and suggestions from Commonwealth people's to the Commonwealth leadership. It is time the ordinary Commonwealth citizen checks if the Commonwealth, which clearly doesn't answer to the people, is increasingly not just a pompous paper tiger institution that mostly serves the prestige of its undemocratic and unelected head. There should be public oversight and a dedicated professional peoples feedback department that helps the people question the institution and it's activities, plus determine if such a conference is not just for Commonwealth delegates to enjoy themselves and tour the world. Because the Comminwealth peoples expect that the leaders are working productively on pertinent political, social and economic legislative issues affecting all the peoples of the Commonwealth today and in the future, plus defending the Commonwealths democratic institutions like the UK Parliament at a time when Britain is facing not only it's worst political quagmire this century, but they are now literally also under a political parliamentary lockdown in a seemingly questionable effort to specifically prevent the British legislature from doing it's job and carrying out it's democratic mandate by scrutinizing any and all aspects of Brexit on behalf of the British people. The suspension of the UK Parliament is therefore tantamount to a political coup instigated and implemented by Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Black Rod. Let us remember that the only thing that makes Britain a democracy is the fact that it has a Parliament. Therefore if there is any wrong committable by the participants of thr Commonwealth Parliaments Conference in Kampala, it would be that they become accomplices to the suspension of their fellow British Parliamentarians, a betrayal that will simply be manifested by their ignorance or cunning refusal to condemn the politically motivated prorogation in the strongest terms possible during debates and in the Commonwealth conference's final statement on 29th September. Signed: Hussein Lumumba Amin September 11th 2019 Kampala, Uganda. Here is an article on the moment the British Parliament suspension started: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49645338
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