{UAH} Mao: I would never take a Museveni job

Mao: I would never take a Museveni job

Interview

SUNDAY, 20 APRIL 2014 21:27

WRITTEN BY JOHNSON GRACE MAGANJA

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Nobert Mao has arguably been one of the most brilliant MPs among the current crop of politicians.

He served two terms and retired, to become Gulu district chairperson and then president of the Democratic Party (DP). Ahead of the 2016 elections, Johnson Maganja asked Mao about the state of his fractious party and the political temperature in the country. 

What have you done to reconcile the members who boycotted the delegates' conference where you were elected?

After Mbale, we have had an open-door policy to address all the legitimate grievances and even the baseless political squabbles. We put party unity on top of the agenda and extended an olive branch to everybody.  We had a road map drawn although not everybody approved of it. Internal democracy in a party isn't perfect! Only God is perfect.

How far have you gone with the search for the remains of the late Ben Kiwanuka?

We don't know where he was buried! And the government is not interested in helping us. We contacted forensic experts from Argentina with the assistance of  Dr Sylvester Onzivua. We have many theories concerning the whereabouts of Ben Kiwanuka's remains.

Luzira prison yard, Mayuge and Nakasongola are places where his remains could have been buried! If the remains of Shaban Nkutu were found, how about his? Our job is to work together and it may pay off!

You have been critical of the anti-homosexuality law…

First and foremost, that is the national stand of Uganda as a country. So, the anti-homosexuality law is a clear statement of Uganda's stand on the issue of homosexuality. And I believe that it may change in the future because culture isn't static!

Now, that said, the truth of the matter is that the law isn't the answer to the problem. If we think that the problem is recruitment, then the law will drive the homosexuals underground. And after some time, we should assess the impact of the law. Let's give it five to 10 years, then we assess.

But some donors have withdrawn aid to Uganda!

I think that is what you would call arm-twisting. It's extremely unfortunate because if it was about right and wrong, that would be another matter. But now this has become about power! I don't think that is how to conduct international affairs.

In any case, the analysis of aid shows that it isn't even as effective. Aid is only effective in particular areas like HIV/ Aids.  I think the Western world is being very hypocritical. They ignore other evils. The Ugandan police brutalizes us the opposition and Obama says nothing!

I think our friends in the West have the wrong end of the stick. They should engage us rather than confront us and denounce us.   I think by attacking us, they have vindicated us!

How prepared are you for the 2016 general elections?

For me, it's not about whether I am prepared or not! It's about whether we can have free and fair elections. Right now we don't have the conditions for free and fair elections. We have launched a massive campaign for free and fair elections which we hope will create a groundswell of support among the population. We will deal with all the aspects of our election management system.

For instance an electoral commission that is independent, to make sure that the incumbent doesn't raid the national treasury to his own benefit, to make sure that the security forces are impartial and neutral, to make sure that all candidates enjoy freedom of movement, freedom of association.

But above all, to ensure that the results that are announced at every polling station are the ones that go to the tallying centre. We have witnessed a lot of distortions; sometimes results are changed along the way. We need a national register which is reliable. We hear stories of ghost voters. So, our campaign is centred around those issues.

But the goal of an election is to make sure that there's democracy. When you have democracy, then you have a government which is accountable and can deliver services. We don't have that now! We have a one-man rule and an organization called NRM .

It has even a military wing; the UPDF is an army of the NRM, the police is a police of the NRM, the national treasury is for the NRM. The state has been captured completely; it no longer serves the people. It is serving a small group led by Yoweri Museveni. So, our demand for a fair and free election is our way of saying we need the opportunity of restructuring the state. Because the state we have right now clearly doesn't serve Ugandans.

Aren't there some achievements by NRM government?

You can do a few things but at the end of the day, it's like a balance sheet; you can go out in the morning to transact a few things you find that you can't say that your business is prospering but it doesn't mean that you don't have a single customer. But it means you have lost some basics.

Let's use some parameters. I want to be fair to the NRM. We ask: economically are Ugandans more prosperous than they were? There are those who think prosperity is when you have a mobile phone, iPad and when there's internet! But I think the quality of life of Ugandans has declined in real terms!

Look at education and health: the NRM government has failed. The root of all this is the economic discontent that we have. Most of the things that have been done that we celebrate are really cosmetic!

But the government deserves credit for ending the LRA insurgency in northern Uganda.

I come from northern Uganda. The government of President Museveni has never had the political will to restore complete peace and rebuild northern Uganda. They are doing nothing even when the money for northern Uganda rehabilitation programme has been stolen. Everything we have achieved in northern Uganda is because of intense pressure by NGOs and international campaigns.

The LRA is no longer a danger in northern Uganda but it's still a threat to the region. In as far as northern Uganda is concerned the issue is recovery.

What about the talk of having an independent speaker of parliament?

There are proposals and in Tanzania the speaker is elected from outside parliament. A speaker is a referee, a judge who interprets the rules of proceedings and applies them. We have had partial speakers!

When one is a partial speaker, you are arm-twisted by the party in government. Kadaga is [vice-chairperson] of NRM for Eastern Uganda, she attended the Central Executive Committee that implicated the four rebel MPs, then she comes back as speaker to preside over their fate in Parliament.  It's an awkward situation. 

If President Museveni offered you a cabinet position would you accept it?

No. I wouldn't be because that is not really my goal! I am not a stranded person. I have a profession and God has given me some great talents that I can rely on. There are those who think political office is a job the way you practise law or medicine.

I have been offered a position before and the truth is it's not so much about being in government. I know what I want.  My needs are very simple, I am not one who wants convoys; that is why I served two terms and retired. I left Parliament and went to serve as district chairman with a very low salary. I will never be lured by careerism. 

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Gwokto La'Kitgum

"Even a small dog can piss on a tall Building", Jim Hightower