{UAH} Rumoured new constitutional amendment can only appease idiots!

There we are again, with new rumours pointing to NRM's big intention

to speed in a constitutional amendment that will reject once for all the

exercise of electing Uganda's President through universal suffrage! And

the new option is to propose the election of the head of state through Parliament

with the vote naturally going to the leader of the party that commands a majority

in the august house! Such a move, if tabled and passed, will be the most unfair

thing Uganda has ever come to in its struggle for democracy and universal freedom.

This question of electing an executive president in any democracy is a right and duty

and a sole reserve of the citizens of the land. In Uganda, according to our constitution,

it's the masses in their adult age that have the responsibility to choose their leader.

Members of Parliament can only choose a Speaker of Parliament. If the President is 

chosen by Parliament would it mean he's an official on par with a mere Speaker of

Parliament whose duties and responsibility don't equate with the functions of a President

who is answerable to the whole country and to the international community?

In the case of the two officials being elected by Parliament the Speaker may even at certain

stage boast of being more popularly accepted than a President if, for example, a candidate

for the presidency garners a less majority vote ( and only from his party as naturally expected) whereas on the other hand a speaker who can reach to members of opposition through promises for backing on various parliamentary committees may end up scoring a more fatly victory in term of votes than a president!! And this will look humiliating before the masses......!

The argument given by some NRMs behind this dirty proposal is that their candidate at the

next presidential poll will be old and tired, too weak to travel all over the country canvassing

for votes! This argument is very shallow, if not stupid!! Any constitutional change can't be made in anticipation of one individual's age and state of health! Let them put there another 

candidate, so physically strong and apt to do the uphill running! Do they only have Museveni

now and forever in their cup-boards? Can't they propose another person? If Museveni will be too weak to campaign in all parts of Uganda, can't another person or groups do it for him? Can't he reach out his followers and diehards via social medias, the tactic which has largely helped both Norbert Mao and Bobi Wine ( and several others ) to spread their influence far and wide? 

All these clumsy manoeuvres by an ailing regime are just signs of great cowardice. They are the kicks of a dying horse with nowhere to launch an appeal for rescue from a sinking boat! 

The President Ugandans will ever accept is the one elected through universal suffrage. A President has only one constituency, that's the country and all its people in their abundant masses! He has to face them himself and solicit for their vote. Members of Parliament have each a limited mandate and within their constituencies. If a Parliamentarian is popular in his constituency it doesn't necessarily mean that his party leader will also be equally popular there and therefore expected to sweep the presidential vote there! An MP is purely a person for matters regarding a constituency whereas a President is a person nationally seen as a country's leader and representative on the global world scene. He holds the most supreme office in the land, and therefore, as such, he has to owe his election to office to the supreme institution in the land, that's the people of Uganda. His policies will affect and impact on direcly the people and not the MPs as such. It's very easy to please many of these MPs through finances and other enticements but it isn't at all very easy to render immediate satisfaction to the masses ! And it's the masses who are always in dire need of good policies to ensure the much needed service delivery to them! Service delivery is a direct responsibility of the president who sees to it that promises to the masses through the election manifesto are fulfilled. Praise or blame in this regard will be addressed to him / her as president and not to the MPs! It's the effort of the presidency that the masses will take stock of. 

Direct universal suffrage for a presidential election is the best way to ensure many other positive things if the exercise is well-observed. Indirect presidential election through MPs is a call for many evils, endemic corruption / tribalism / nepotism/ etc..included!

And indirect election to such a supreme office would be a very cowardly step full of naivety

and all associated ills! Ugandan polls having once witnessed the dangers of an indirect election somewhere, this time should take great caution never to accept a presidential poll reserved to the only MPs! It's grossly unfair and the nation shouldn't hesitate to combat with unprecedented vigour such a real insult to the people of Uganda! 

G.H.K.

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