{UAH} The Observer - Is Lukwago afraid of a by-election?
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The Observer - Is Lukwago afraid of a by-election?
Thursday, 03 April 2014 21:51
If we thought that the defiance of Dr Kizza Besigye had brought out the worst of the authoritarian tendencies of the government of President Yoweri Museveni, two utterly despicable developments in the past weeks have fully unmasked the NRM regime.
First, the relentless pursuit of Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has completely removed the veil of pretence to supposed respect for the rule of law and claims of belief in constitutional governance. The second development is the continued needless harassment of opposition leaders and civil society activists.
Citing the obnoxious and unconstitutional Public Order Management Act, 2013, the police and security operatives have blocked planned rallies in up-country towns, obstructed access to radio stations, and denied the opposition their constitutional right of interfacing with the people, be they their supporters or not.
These actions can only attest to one thing: that the NRM regime dreads fair political competition.Yet this is hardly surprising, for authoritarian regimes are defined by their averseness to open, free and transparent political competition.
That is why the scheme of ring-fencing the chairmanship of the ruling party, and by extension the presidential flag-bearer, should not be seen as a spontaneous act. It's a planned and deliberate tack to circumvent the uncertainties of electoral politics.
For long, opposition parties, and especially their leaderships, were chided for being Kampala-based players who lack grassroots presence. But the events of the last few weeks have illuminated the tough political terrain on which opposition parties operate.
In Kampala, we are told, the opposition wants to cause chaos by holding rallies in markets and other congested venues. And in upcountry towns, apparently, holding public meetings incites the public.
Recall that in the past, as columnist Ssemujju Ibrahim Ssemuju aptly noted on Wednesday, regime apologists squarely blamed Kizza Besigye for the manner in which the police, under the command of a highly-partisan Inspector General, treated him. Apparently, Dr Besigye is too confrontational and inevitably invites police brutality.
We were also told that the best thing that would happen to Uganda's opposition is to have a gentle and non-combative figure in the mould of Mugisha Muntu taking over leadership of the main opposition party, the Forum for Democratic Change.
But last week, in southwestern Uganda, it was not Besigye but Muntu who was forced out of a radio talkshow, on allegations of inciting the public. For many in the NRM establishment, to hold an alternative political view and argue a different interpretation of the current state of the nation is to incite the public.
Curiously, Muntu and Besigye can freely speak on Kampala radio stations but not in Kabale or Kasese. And the reason is simple: the Ugandan rulers want to keep a firm grip on the rural peasantry and majority poor.
There has recently emerged a most worryingly parochial and petty approach to politics in Uganda. At the forefront and with inimitable zeal is Frank Tumwebaze, the minister for the Presidency. His overzealousness in pursuing political opponents and mendacity in public discourse are legendary.
If the same energy and time expended on defeating Erias Lukwago were channelled to productive work, Mr Tumwebaze and Ms Jennifer Musisi, Kampala's executive director, would have moved the city to another level. Now they want a by-election to choose a new lord mayor.
But to think that an NRM candidate, more so Peter Sematimba who performed so poorly in 2011, can beat Lukwago in a free and fair election in Kampala is sheer naivety. Many of Kampala's relatively small elite class that have stridently chastised Lukwago and disingenuously labelled him "anti-development" don't bother to register to vote.
Those who register don't turn out to vote. The people who turn out in large numbers to vote are the so-called "unwashed of society." And these are fanatical followers of Lukwago. The more he has been hounded and unfairly denied his seat at City hall, the more he has become endeared to them through resolve, defiance and resistance.
So, Lukwago would be the last person to be afraid of a by-election in Kampala. He will easily defeat an NRM candidate. The reason why he shouldn't subject himself to such a by-election is because he was unfairly convicted and illegally impeached. What is at stake is a matter of law and principle, and Lukwago should be saluted for standing his ground.
Unfortunately, many among Kampala's elite class, including some decent lawyers and journalists, have elected not to defend the principle at issue here. They have opted to focus on the alleged bad politics of Lukwago, contrary to the supposed developmental activities of the city authority under Ms Musisi.
moses.khisa@gmail.com
The author is a PhD candidate in Political Science at Northwestern University, Evanston/Chicago-USA.
http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31047:-is-lukwago-afraid-of-a-by-election&catid=93:columnists
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