{UAH} WHY WAS MUSEVENI INITIALLY OPPOSED TO THE 1980 ELECTIONS?
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WHY WAS MUSEVENI INNITIALY OPPOSED TO THE 1980 ELECTIONS?
During the Moshi conference it had been agreed that general elections would be held within 18 months after the fall of Iddi Amin. During the rule of the Military Commission when the idea was raised, Museveni vehemently opposed it arguing that the country was still undergoing a revolution. Ofcourse, he very well knew that with an election, he would be politically finished. He knew that in an election, the UPC had more chances of wining and then stabilise the country thus quashing his chances of manipulating the military to gain the Presidency.
On 27th May 1980 former President Dr Apollo Milton Obote returned to Uganda ending almost a decade of exile. He landed in Bushenyi the backyard of Museveni's stronghold of Western region. He received a heroe's welcome and that day was to be declared a national heroes day. He returned at a time when the UNLF had been disolved. Most former members of the UNLF had returned to their traditional political parties i.e UPC and DP while others were sitting on the fence. The likes of Prof. Rugumayo, Prof. Dan Wadada Nabudere, Omwony Ojok and Yash Tandon commonly known as The Gang of Four had resorted to armed rebellion under the organisation they called UNLF Anti-Dictatorship. Earlier as Binaisa was topled and placed under house arrest, these four had been summoned to Tanzania, placed under arrest and upon release were banned from returning to Uganda. They had took with them former FRONASA Field Commander, Eriya Mwine aka Sheif Ali who set up bases in the Rwenzori mountains. Obote who had remained the UPC party president no doubt was its flag bearer in forthcoming elections.
The Democratic Party had to select a flag bearer. Former president, Prof. Lule intended to return and vie for the DP presidency but was threatened with arrest by the Military Commission over treasonous allegations. Prof. Lule's popularity was a threat to Museveni's designs. Prof. Lule would have reactivated the nationwide popular structures of the disbanded UNLF and given a real challenge to the UPC. If that would have been the case, what excuse would Museveni have given for resorting to armed rebellion. Paulo Ssemwogerere was picked as DP's flag bearer. Museveni who up to that moment was a member of UPC opportunistically entered into negotiations with DP for his membership but he soon withdrew. The weaker Conservative Party (CP) had Mayanja Nkangi as its flag bearer.
The DP and UPC were the traditional political parties and no doubt general elections in Uganda at the time meant a contest between the two. However there existed a call for a departure from the two tradional parties to a 'third force' ; a new political party. Leading the call were mostly former UPC cadres notably Bidandi Sali, Akena P'Ojok, Ruhakana Rugunda, Matia Kasaija, Buzaabo, Prof Kabwegyere and others. Innitially, it was named Uganda Labour Congress but later it became Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) with Museveni as its flag bearer. Museveni had urged that because UPC had a leader from the northern region and the DP had a leader from Buganda region, the UPM needed a leades from his Western region. Museveni's selection to lead UPM was protested by a number of founding members led by Prof. Kabwejere to rejoin the DP and UPC. Museveni had approached both the DP and the UPM on the ticket of having been leading a faction of the army (FRONASA) and being the Vice Chairman of the powerful ruling Military Commission thus a counter balance to UPC's military muscle.
Museveni had opposed the 1980 elections because he rightly feared that he would come out of it politically deflated. With love for militaristic approach to public affairs, he does not believe in democratic elections. Indeed those elections delayed his rising to the Presidency through military means.
INFORMATION IS POWER.
On 27th May 1980 former President Dr Apollo Milton Obote returned to Uganda ending almost a decade of exile. He landed in Bushenyi the backyard of Museveni's stronghold of Western region. He received a heroe's welcome and that day was to be declared a national heroes day. He returned at a time when the UNLF had been disolved. Most former members of the UNLF had returned to their traditional political parties i.e UPC and DP while others were sitting on the fence. The likes of Prof. Rugumayo, Prof. Dan Wadada Nabudere, Omwony Ojok and Yash Tandon commonly known as The Gang of Four had resorted to armed rebellion under the organisation they called UNLF Anti-Dictatorship. Earlier as Binaisa was topled and placed under house arrest, these four had been summoned to Tanzania, placed under arrest and upon release were banned from returning to Uganda. They had took with them former FRONASA Field Commander, Eriya Mwine aka Sheif Ali who set up bases in the Rwenzori mountains. Obote who had remained the UPC party president no doubt was its flag bearer in forthcoming elections.
The Democratic Party had to select a flag bearer. Former president, Prof. Lule intended to return and vie for the DP presidency but was threatened with arrest by the Military Commission over treasonous allegations. Prof. Lule's popularity was a threat to Museveni's designs. Prof. Lule would have reactivated the nationwide popular structures of the disbanded UNLF and given a real challenge to the UPC. If that would have been the case, what excuse would Museveni have given for resorting to armed rebellion. Paulo Ssemwogerere was picked as DP's flag bearer. Museveni who up to that moment was a member of UPC opportunistically entered into negotiations with DP for his membership but he soon withdrew. The weaker Conservative Party (CP) had Mayanja Nkangi as its flag bearer.
The DP and UPC were the traditional political parties and no doubt general elections in Uganda at the time meant a contest between the two. However there existed a call for a departure from the two tradional parties to a 'third force' ; a new political party. Leading the call were mostly former UPC cadres notably Bidandi Sali, Akena P'Ojok, Ruhakana Rugunda, Matia Kasaija, Buzaabo, Prof Kabwegyere and others. Innitially, it was named Uganda Labour Congress but later it became Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) with Museveni as its flag bearer. Museveni had urged that because UPC had a leader from the northern region and the DP had a leader from Buganda region, the UPM needed a leades from his Western region. Museveni's selection to lead UPM was protested by a number of founding members led by Prof. Kabwejere to rejoin the DP and UPC. Museveni had approached both the DP and the UPM on the ticket of having been leading a faction of the army (FRONASA) and being the Vice Chairman of the powerful ruling Military Commission thus a counter balance to UPC's military muscle.
Museveni had opposed the 1980 elections because he rightly feared that he would come out of it politically deflated. With love for militaristic approach to public affairs, he does not believe in democratic elections. Indeed those elections delayed his rising to the Presidency through military means.
INFORMATION IS POWER.
Viele GruBe
Robukui
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