{UAH} QUEEN ELIZABETH 11 SET TO WELCOME TWO BRAND NEW LEADERS AT CHOGM 2015 IN MALTA

HM Queen Elizabeth II set to welcome two new leaders at CHOGM 2015 in Malta

 November 1, 2015 Editorial Team  

 

Dr John Pombe Magufuli, the Tanzanian President-elect. Will he fulfil his campaign promises of ridding the country of corruption and the country’s shameful road system?

 

By Oryema Johnson – North America Correspondent

 

Commonwealth Heads of State and Government who are set to meet in Malta at the end of this month, will be welcoming two new faces who would have been in power for less than a month. These will be Tanzania’s John Magufuli who won his country’s general elections in questionable circumstances this week and Canada’s Justin Trudeau. While the man Mr Trudeau beat to his country’s premiership Stephen Harper was quick to call Trudeau and congratulate him on his win, as we went to press today we were still waiting to hear whether Tanzania’s Edward Lowassa who was defeated by Dr Magufuli was going to do the same.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second is set to open what many fear is likely to be her last attendance at a  CHOGM summit held away from the United Kingdom. The Queen who will be 90 next year, is cutting down on her overseas visits and leaving her eldest son and heir, the Prince Charles to officiate in future at any CHOGM held abroad. The London Evening Post will be covering CHOGM 2015 fully from St Julian’s and we will be bringing you details of how these two new leaders fare among their experienced leaders at their first international meeting.

Winning  free and fair election in Africa is becoming harder than before, with the incumbent often accused of using undemocratic means to hang on to power. But recent examples of how elections ought to be staged and won in Africa was shown by Kenya after Mwai Kibaki stepped down at the end of his two-term limit, leaving two sons of famous Kenyan politicians to fight it out for the right to run the country. Uhuru Kenyatta, son of the country’s first black leader, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, beat hands down Raila Odinga, another son of a famous Kenyan leader, former post-independence Vice President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. But soon after, Rail cried foul, only for the Kenyan High Court to rule in favor of Mr Kenyatta. While the

 

new Tanzanian leader hasn’t a famous father behind his ascension to his country’s ‘throne’, his Canadian counterpart certainly does.

 

The ‘Young Turk’. New Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who ended Stephen Harper’s long reign as PM.

 

But if there was ever any doubts about the roots of democracy in Canada, that was deleted on October 19^th2015 when Canadians graciously and peacefully bid farewell to Stephen Harper Prime Minister for 10 years and welcomed a younger Turk, Justin Trudeau, son of the late and the most popular Canadian Prime Minister, Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Richard Nixon, one of the most hated American Presidents in modern history must be turning in his grave wishing he was around to say I told you so. In 1972 when Richard Nixon visited Canada he predicted that Justin would one day be Canada’s Prime Minister. That happened on October 19, 2015 when he was elected and won by majority vote. What Justin may not tell us is that his father’s friendship with Nixon was not that great. In fact he one time referred to Nixon as that son of a bitch! That was Trudeau senior, arrogant and very proud who told Canadians “Politics has no place in people’s bedroom”. He knew what he was saying he was such a womanizer who went after Hollywood celebrities. That was the reason he married late in life. But he did a lot for Canada as Prime Minister from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1974 and again from March 3, 1980 to June 29, 1984.

During those years, he accomplished the following:

The creation of the official Language Act 1969

The enactment of the War Measures Act during the FLQ-October Crisis in 1970

 The creation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom in 1982 and

 Legal independence from Britain with the signing of the Constitution Act, 1982.

What Trudeau senior did reflects Canada’s colorful and rich history and geography that date back to the Paleo-Indians who were its first inhabitants and tenants. Their distinct trade networks, spiritual belief and social hierarchies though altered to some extent, remain the same. Canada has traveled a long way to be where it is today. The country was born on July 1 1867 following the Constitution Act which joined three Provinces into one nation. Even though the country was born in 1867, it did not mature until 1982 after the Constitution was repatriated from Britain.

Democratically, even though the country came of age only in 1982, it is counted among those countries that practice participatory democracy fully. It has an informed population aware of its rights, obligations and roles in a civil society. It is a population that votes responsibly and selects its candidate based on substance and quality. That is why Justin Trudeau drew the attention of the people who had lost faith and trust in Prime Minister Harper and did not believe in Tom Mulcair leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP). Justin Trudeau did not distort history nor falsified the future during his campaign.

We will be watching both leaders very carefully in the next five years. Time will tell whether they will fulfill all the promises they made during their campaigns or they will join the rest of global politicians who promise a trip to paradise only to end up in hell with no return ticket.

Oryema Johnson is a Uganda scholar residing in Ottawa the capital of Canada.

EM

On the 49^th Parallel          

                 Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in anarchy"
                    Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni katika machafuko"