They balance on their hind limbs, brushes in forelimb knuckles and paint new rules over existing ones. Thus, instead of keeping to the two presidential terms prescribed for in the constitution, they are busy altering the script to allow third and everlasting term for a president. Instead of no detention without trial they are busy adding except in safe houses. Instead of giving equal opportunities to all political parties they are busy funding one while strangling others.
Yes, their children will be chauffer driven to exclusive private schools in Kampala or even sent abroad while up to seventy peasant children crowd under a tree for a classroom to receive basic education. But what hurts most of all is their arrogance of saying they are doing all this for the good of the country.
First of all let those who are involved in the current political debate about the future of Uganda identify what is at stake and what this fight is all about.
What is at stake are principles. The fight is about principles. Those people who are caught up in the crossfire are what is often referred to as collateral damage. We should focus on what is more important: collateral damage like the possible loss of a proven and capable leader or the loss of the sacred principle that allows us to identify even a better leader in good time?
I have no doubt that President Yoweri Museveni wants to run for the third (actually fifth) term. His actions in purging those opposed to the third term, his body language while speaking on this issue, his silence as to whether he will retire come 2006 are enough indicators of his intentions.
I have never known Mr Museveni to be shy on political matters unless he is planning a surprise move like announcing his brother or son to be his chosen successor.
Is the opposition intent on humiliating Mr Museveni? Not at all in my opinion. On the contrary, after sampling the various divergent views, the most commonly expressed sentiment is that they would like to see him retire as a dignified statesman. I am one of those who share this view.
When people like former ministers Eriya Kategaya, Bidandi Ssali, Miria Matembe, Mathew Rukikaire, Nuweamanya Mushega etc and religious leaders start coming out in the open to advise the driver of the bus to change course, the driver had better listen.
These were once upon a time reliable fellow travellers on the bus. They must have sensed something amiss. They cannot all be misguided, mischievous or malicious in advising the driver to change course.
A lot has been made of previous winning margins by Mr Museveni. There was a lot going for him then. He had brought relative peace and order to the country save for the North. Economic growth rate had taken off from zero and was bound to accelerate even if it reached two percent. He had good press reviews both locally and internationally.
Above all let us not forget that Mr Museveni was very popular in Buganda and Western Uganda at that time. Given such favourable parameters plus control of government machinery, who would fail to win an election? But is the political climate still so favourable?
Voters, especially in Uganda are extremely unpredictable as to which way they will sway. If a candidate is perceived to have the potential to deliver on certain promises, that candidate is likely to win the elections. When that candidate reneges on the promises he made, then he or she stands a good chance to loose the next round of elections. To me this appears to be what is awaiting the majority of our current parliamentarians who have contrived to support a third term for the president.
There is of course the unpredictability factor. No one gave Mr Museveni much chance of becoming president on his second attempt sixteen years after losing his deposit in his maiden attempt.
As the debate gets hot on the subject of the third term, I wish to advise participants not to jump into the fray just for the fun of getting their adrenaline going. I remember whenever there was a fight in my locality Obwinobwencende, Sheema North, you could always count on two notorious young men getting involved in the fight without even asking what the fight was all about. During such a fight often the wrong person got the puffy eyes.
We must not confuse issues when debating the third term. In my opinion the hue and cry is not so much against Mr Museveni as a person getting an extra term in office as president. It is about a precedent being created for any other president in future. No president, however popular and gifted, should attempt to remain in office longer than what the constitution allows him or her to do. Altering the constitution for the benefit of the incumbent is a dangerous precedent which will be repeated again and again.
I refuse to believe that Rukungiri elders are once again agitating for the serving president to have a bonus term. Elders from this same area had the rare distinction of recommending that Mr Idi Amin should become life president. If both allegations are true then truth is stranger than fiction in Rukungiri.
The irony is that some of my ancestors on my parternal side originated from Rukungiri which makes me genetically vulnerable to idiosyncratic behaviour. I will resist this predisposition. Instead, I will abide by the teachings of yet another Rukungiri born son, the late Bishop Festo Kivengere.
This great preacher condemned greed among many other vices. I remember him clearly illustrating this with a fable story. This was during a sermon at the inauguration of BishopYoramu Bamunoba, way back during the rule of Mr Amin.
A hyena and a sheep had agreed on terms before a wrestling contest. The loser of the contest was to end up on the winner’s dinner table. When the sheep won the first four rounds the hyena started to deliberately undercount hoping to win the contest by fraud.
Up to now a sheep never trusts a hyena.
Which brings me to the vital question: is it permissible to change rules midway during a contest? Or put another way is it acceptable to shift the goal posts even if the game is played in a Rukungiri football stadium?
The writer is a Ugandan living in South Africa.
