{UAH} Museveni's 30 Years Of Broken Promises - What Happened to the one about 2006 retirement

http://www.burkinastyle.com/content/30-years-broken-promises-what-happened-musevenis-vow-retire-2006

30 Years Of Broken Promises: What Happened To Museveni's Vow To Retire In 2006?

BY MISS JA

I think one of my biggest disappointments with President Museveni has often been his constant shifting of goal posts when it comes to the question of his leaving power.

When he took power in January of 1986, he rode on the wings of a devastated polity and an economy in shambles. As he took the mantle, he promised "fundamental change," and not a mere "change of guard." Indeed he also correctly diagnosed Africa's problem as that of leaders who "don't want to leave power."

However, after he himself became one of those African leaders who overstayed, he changed his stance and said he meant that Africa's problem is leaders who "stay too long without the mandate of the people, through free and fair elections."

After presiding over a constitution-making process that culminated in the 1995 Constitution, President Museveni sought a fresh mandate under the new Constitution in 1996. He then promised that he would run for one last term and be gone.

It was with this understanding that he was elected for what people thought was his last term in office in 2001. However, as 2006 approached, the President then set up a Constitutional Review Commission through which he hoped to work out a way to stay in power longer.

During the review, the President drummed up support for a "third term" in office through the lifting of the presidential term limits that were fixed at a maximum of two terms of five years each.

While the Commission had initially not considered this matter, because it was not even part of their terms of reference, and neither had anyone raised it during their public consultations, the President managed to "persuade" the Commissioners that in fact, this matter should be looked into.

All the Commissioners, save for the Chairperson – Professor Katende Sempebwa, who wrote a minority report, decided that the issue of term limits should be put to a referendum.

Given the mood in the country at the time, and because the term limits had not been put to the test, President Museveni could not be sure of a win in a referendum, so instead, he "facilitated" the Parliament to remove term limits in the Constitution, by paying the legislators money. This enabled the President to run for election in 2006, then in 2011 and now again in 2016.

During one of his campaign rallies most recently, the President is quoted as having said he would respect the Constitution with regard to the question of the age limit for the Presidency. Currently in our Constitution, the age limit for the presidency is set at 75. Museveni is believed to be 71 years old.

Having not respected the Constitution the first time round, despite his many promises and his diagnosis of Africa's problem as leaders who overstay – there is no record to show that this time round, Museveni will not engineer yet another change to the Constitution, precisely to lift the age limit.

In October 2015, the country's 9th Parliament was supposed to consider a swath of constitutional amendments, especially with regard to electoral reforms. What the Government tabled instead was a very scanty "Constitution Amendment Bill," with almost inconsequential proposals.

Of course the Parliament said there was not enough time left in their term of office to extensively consider all the necessary constitutional amendments. The Government then promised it would do an "extensive review" of the Constitution in the next Parliament. So one can already guess what the horizon will bring.

Because President Museveni is not one to keep his promises – especially when it comes to the question of relinquishing power.

This for me is my biggest broken promise. Because he was unable to keep the big promise, he wasn't able to keep lesser promises either.

Note to readers: Please send your own article or commentary about Gen. Museveni's most egregious broken promises to editor@burkinastyle.com

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Milton Allimadi, Publisher/CEO
The Black Star News

www.blackstarnews.com

P.O. Box 1472

New York, N.Y., 10274

(646) 261-7566

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