{UAH} Politicians should avoid hurting opponents because there are consequences

I often hear stories that so and so got killed, lost property or a job or went into exile because one of the relatives is in politics. When in power politicians go after their opponents or their relatives or friends to silence them. But they forget there could be grave consequences to themselves or their relatives or friends when the occasion presents itself. Here are some illustrations.

1.     V.I. Lenin chose to become a rebel against the Romanov dynasty in large part because his brother was executed for participation in student protest activities. Lenin never forgot. It is believed that the entire family of Czar Nicholas II was executed when Lenin was in charge of Russia in part to settle a score.

2.     Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini might have sharpened his attack and determination to end the shah regime when in 1977 Ali Shariati, a popular cleric and opponent of the Shah and strong supporter of Khomeini got killed allegedly by the Shah's secret police. The death of Shariati made Khomeini's son Mostafa more popular and scared the Shah. When in October 1977, it was reported that Mostafa had died from heart problems the masses did not believe it and blamed it on SAVAK. This death boosted the popularity of Mostafa's father and energized his resolve to end the dynasty which occurred in 1979.

3.     Deng Xiaiping's son Deng Pufang who had been tormented by the Red Guards because of his father's disapproval of government policies was thrown from a high window and could not be quickly attended to by medical staff that was afraid since his father was being criticized by the authorities. In the end Deng Pufang developed permanent paralysis. When the parents learned of what happened the mother cried for three days and nights "while Deng sat in silence, smoking cigarettes one after another"(Ezra. F. Vogel 2011). The Gang of Four that succeeded Mao including Mao's widow Jiang Qing went on trial for alleged criminal activities after they were thrown out of power and Deng was back. Mao's widow and Zhang Chunqiao refused to confess and were given suspended death sentence which was later commuted to imprisonment. Being Mao's widow Qing probably expected pardon and when it did not come she committed suicide in 1991 (Edwin E. Moise 1994).

The message in the three illustrations is that because there are severe consequences when politicians do bad things to their opponents or their relatives and friends, we Ugandans need to play clean politics based on issues according to democratic rules that guarantee civil and political rights of politicians, their relatives and friends.

Eric Kashambuzi. Secretary-General of UDU  

       

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