{UAH} THE FIVE REQUISITES OF FEDERALISM

For federalism to hold;

1.  There has to be a community of interest.  It is this that provides the super glue and cementing force for a federal system.  The principle molecule in that 'superglue' is the bonds of horizontal integration and symbiotic existence that arises from a system of economic interdependence between the federal units.  Those bonds have to exist both at the federal state or subunit level.

 

2.  A federal system cannot even start unless there is social and economic development of the whole country….critical level of education and enlightenment immunizes the populace against parochial, fissiparous and chauvinistic tendencies. Besides, a federal system is very expensive – it requires ample economic resources to make a double set of governments functional.  Most importantly, if any part of the country is socially or/and economically backward in relation to others, federalism will back fire...Karamoja vs Bushenyi, Kyaggwe vs Busiro...

 

3.  There has to be no marked inequality between the components of a federal union.  As much as possible, the units should enjoy equality in terms of their powers. Inequality may cause dissatisfaction and cannot auger well for the survival of the federal dispensation.

 

4.  There has to be similarity of political and social institutions within the units just as much as the pattern of governmental systems should be the same at the national and regional levels.  In the USA (which we like referring to as the exemplar which preindustrial (or for that matter, pre-agricultural) Uganda should emulate, the pattern of the presidential form of government prevails at the federal and state level.  In India and Australia, the parliamentary form prevails at the central and regional level.

 

5.  Political systems function because the populace embodies ideas, beliefs and commitments to the values of those political systems.  There has to be some basic understanding of the meaning of allegiance towards a dual set of governments. Regional level leadership has to be in the hands of those that will not tell the central government to 'remove itself' from whatever region houses it, i.e., individuals with a national image and national ethos, capable of inspiring sentiments of broad socio-political integration in the minds of the population. The relationship between the centre has to be co-operative, but not competitive, persuasive and not coercive, flexible and not rigid.

 

 

 

  

Lance Corporal (Rtd) Patrick Otto 

"THE SAME HEAT THAT MELTS THE BUTTER HARDENS THE EGG"

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From: PATRICK OTTO <l_cpl.ottopatrick@ymail.com>
To: "ugandans-at-heart@googlegroups.com" <ugandans-at-heart@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, 5 July 2015, 19:52
Subject: {UAH} THE SEVEN DEMERITS OF FEDERALISM

 Federalism's demerits (from archives).

1.  It creates a deficient authority over component states and individual citizens especially in new states of the 3rd world where the process of nation building and state making is in its early stages.

2.  It creates liability to dissolution by the secession or rebellion of states especially when the core of the federation is an entity that enjoyed independent and hegemonic existence prior to the federation.

3.  It creates liability to division into groups and factions by the formation of separate combinations of component states.

4.  It causes absence of the power of legislation on certain subjects where uniform legislation for the whole state is needed.

5.  It makes want of uniformity among the states in legislation and administration.

6.  It leads to trouble, expenses, and delay due to complexity of a double system of legislation and administration.

7.  It weakens foreign policy.

 

  

 

 

 

 

Lance Corporal (Rtd) Patrick Otto 

"THE SAME HEAT THAT MELTS THE BUTTER HARDENS THE EGG"

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