{UAH} A bogus article published because the author is a minister/ monster!

COMMENTARY

Amama, Besigye rehearsing same old script contradictions
Most readers of this article could know an American politician called Mitt Romney. He was the Republican candidate in the 2012 presidential elections against Barack Obama.

With the elections progressing and the stakes getting higher by the day, Romney gained a reputation for flip-flopping on key issues, which finally cost him the race.

Whereas he had as governor of Massachusetts signed into law a Bill, later known as 'Romneycare' which demanded that all residents of the state get health insurance, he astounded the nation when he launched a scathing attack on the Democrats' "Obamacare" which simply was a replica of his "Romneycare" on a national scale.

It would be the same change of goal posts on issues like abortion, gun control, climate change, gay rights among others that some ingenious Americans decided to make flip-flops (sandals) named Mitt Romney which sold out! One columnist in the Washington Post said Romney suffered from "ideological promiscuity".

Reflecting on the recent events in our political landscape, I cannot help but believe Amama Mbabazi and Kizza Besigye, have been bitten by the Romney bug. Mr Mbabazi in particular, has consistently contradicted himself since he declared his bid.

While some of us supported the removal of term limits in 2005 based on the merits we saw and still see, Mr Mbabazi was even beyond us and far more passionate about the whole matter. His arguments about having no term limits were very logical and highly convincing.

He had been on record as having opposed the inclusion of presidential term limits in the Constitution way back when he chaired the Movement caucus of the Constituent Assembly in 1995.

He however lost his arguments then, after the majority of CA delegates opted to have term limits in the constitution. So when the debate on term limits was resurrected in 2005, after the Ssempebwa Commission had raised it in its findings, Mr Mbabazi led the proponents of their removal.

Many of us got convinced by his arguments both as a lawyer and senior political leader and we followed suit. While change of opinion is normal, a sudden one is worrying.

I can imagine the shock most Ugandans experienced when they watched him on VOA's 'Straight Talk Africa" programme, a fortnight ago; suddenly announcing his undying but unexplained support for term limits.

While appearing on BBC, Mr Mbabazi premised his campaign on the need to consolidate the NRM's gains so far registered , but yet recently he talks of leading a one-term transitional government.

One wonders what the "transition talk" means in this case? Transitional governments normally, are a phenomenon that arise from either political stalemates or after serious political strife.

What then would necessitate a transitional government in a stable and prospering country with huge milestones achieved that even Mr Mbabazi acknowledges?

Then there is this recent altercation dominating the media, between Mbabazi and the police, regarding the latter's legal mandate to regulate public gatherings.

Even the President of Uganda with his constitutional immunity cannot convene a rally in a market or a busy trading street. He has to be guided by security.

Meaning that the President is also regulated. When Mr Mbabazi was prime minister, he made a passionate case for this same law on the floor of Parliament.

And he was in order to sponsor and support it because political gatherings and demonstrations can't be conducted everywhere; in markets, trading streets, court and hospital compounds, etc.

So why should Mbabazi think that the police should apply it to others and not to him?
Mr Tumwebaze is the MP Kibaale County and Minister for the Presidency and Kampala Capital City Authority.

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