ugnet_: UPC SHOULD NOT BE ARROGANT

[Edward Mulindwa]

UPC should not be arrogant I was irked by a UPC youth activist, Kemba who made wild and derogatory remarks against the Movement leadership during a talk show on Radio One on October 28. He referred to the Movement as the most ideologically bankrupt government Uganda has ever had, and singled out the barter trade policy practiced in the late 1980s as the most abominable economic undertaking by the Movement. This was unfortunate. The Movement has been pragmatic and scientific in all its undertakings. In 1980, when most politicians were too scared to fight against the UPC government, the Movement mobilized Ugandans to take up arms and restore democracy and constitutional rule. Today, all of us are beneficiaries of that sacrifice. The barter trade policy which Kemba detests with a passion was crucial and appropriate at the time. The Movement had inherited a bankrupt government without foreign exchange and a run-down economy. Tourism was non-existent with major hotels acting as slaughter houses. Essential commodities like drugs, sugar and salt were unavailable. Beer was only sold once a week to the public on Saturdays. The roads within the city were in a deplorable state. It's against this background that the Movement sought help from friendly countries like Cuba, Spain and Algeria, among others, which accepted to trade on barter terms. Waiswa John Baptist, Kampala.             The Mulindwas Communication Group "With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"             Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"