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From The Monitor, June 8, 2003
Museveni's third term bid is a powder keg?By Andrew M. MwendaPosted June 8 - 13, 2003
Ex-Zambian president Fredrick Chiluba told President Yoweri Mr Museveni and Mr Eriya Kategaya [in Algiers] that any African leader who does not respect term limits on the presidency is "hopeless." Three months later, Mr Kategaya and Mr Museveni met at the height of the third term debate in Zambia. Mr Kategaya asked Mr Museveni what the president thought of Mr Chiluba given the Algiers discussion and Mr Museveni answered "he is not serious", writes By Andrew M. Mwenda-
Over the years, President Yoweri Museveni has fought - and even won - many battles. However, his intention to amend the constitution to remove term limits on the presidency, otherwise called the "third term" is going to be a different cup of tea. This single issue stands to significantly dent his reputation and achievements, and it also holds the future of the country in a precarious balance. It will not matter whether President Museveni finally gets or fails to get his much coveted third term; his mere attempt has put him in a dangerous political spot.
The sacking of his childhood friend and compatriot in arms for half a century, former first deputy prime minister and minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Eriya Kategaya, shows that when it comes to his love (or is it greed?) for power, Mr Museveni has no friends.
While Mr Museveni had said he wants a debate on the third term, the sacking of only those ministers who were opposed to the third term left no doubt that the president is determined to cling unto power - at all costs. But will he?
The many battles Mr Museveni has fought and won in Uganda, be they on economic policy reform, politics and in the military have misled him to think that he will always be victorious. Apparently, Mr Museveni is taking the nation too much for granted. Mr Kategaya exercises exemplary personal discipline of any politician I know in Uganda today, the others being Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, Mr Augustine Ruzindana, Mr Bidandi Ssali and Mr Mathew Rukikaire. These are politicians you would call "steady hands". They will not speak unless they have fully thought about and digested the implications or consequences of their words.
Thus when I heard what Mr Bidandi, Mr Muntu and Mr Rukikaire told the president in Kyankwanzi on the third term, read that Ruzindana was chairing meetings of Members of Parliament opposed to the third term project, and when I read Mr Kategaya's press interview, I knew that something is now amiss with the president. If Mr Museveni has signals to read, the position of Uganda Joint Christian Council, an umbrella organisation of the leading Christian churches in Uganda on the third term should be the last remainder. Never in the history of Uganda has an issue united opposition and ruling party politicians, church and mosque clerics, traditional and civil society leaders, etc than the anti-third term campaign.
Why has the third term debate almost drowned other issues on our nation's political agenda? Mr Museveni says third term is not an important issue precisely because he is shy about his stand, and unwilling to directly confront debate. Mr Bidandi says the real issues are how to control electoral violence, manage a transition from a movement (read one party) system to multi party system, etc and not the third term.
Mr Bidandi is naïve.
Indeed, Mr Museveni, Mr Bidandi and all others who think so should pause and think about public concern.
Why are Ugandans so agitated about the third term? If we accept that people know what they want and are all capable of making good choice about their interest, then we must accept their verdict through the choice of information they want to consume. No headline in our newspapers today sells more than one with the third term on it. No talk-show on radio attracts more ratings and callers than a debate on the third term.
The idea of the term limit is born of our own history: the country has had eight changes of government seven of which have been violent, while the eighth was marked by massive street protests that forced the army to fire at the crowds.
From that history, no amount of economic growth figures, no number of factories, schools, hospitals a president will build, no record of kilometres of tarmac a government will construct will give Uganda an enduring legacy of political stability and maturity than a peaceful hand over of power by one president to another.
Those who see successful government in economic growth figures miss the point of what builds nations. The foundation of any country is its political culture inherited from the symbols of p
