Dr. Apollo Milton Obotes Common Mans Charter
President of the
Uganda Peoples Congress
to the Annual Delegates Conference
of the
UGANDA PEOPLES CONGRESS
FOREWORD BY THE PRESIDENT
In June, 1968 the Annual Delegates Conference of the Uganda Peoples
Congress passed a number of far-reaching Resolutions. The National Council,
the Central Executive Committee and the officials of the Party, were
directed by the Conference to implement those resolutions.
As President of the Party I have made a detailed study of the implications
behind the Resolutions passed in the June, 1968 Conference and the methods
of carrying them out. As a result, officials of the Party and I have
produced a document Proposals for National Service (Document No. 2 on The
Move to the Left) to implement some aspects of the Conference Resolutions.
It is my sincere belief that in June, 1968 the Party Conference clearly
indicated that the Party and Uganda as a whole must take initial steps, as
early as possible, to move ideologically and practically to the Left. The
practical steps for and the degree of commitment by Party members to such a
move were not defined at the Conference. It has been my responsibility as
the President of the Party to codify all that the Party stands for and the
principles which have been basic characteristics of the Party since its
foundation. In this exercise officials of the Party, members of the Party
and other persons have been of the greatest assistance in enabling me to
interpret the Party Resolutions.
I hereby present to the Central Executive Committee, to the National Council
and to the Annual Delegates Conference, these same principles and the
strategy for the implementation of the June, 1968 Resolutions. Similarly, I
commend this document to the people of Uganda and to all our well-wishers.
A. MILTON OBOTE
President
Uganda Peoples Congress
THE COMMON MANS CHARTER
FIRST STEPS FOR UGANDA TO MOVE TO THE LEFT
1. We the members of the Annual Delegates Conference of the Uganda Peoples
Congress, assembled on this Twenty-Fourth Day of October, 1969, in an
Emergency Meeting in Kampala; being the body charged under the Constitution
of the Uganda Peoples Congress with the responsibility to lay down the
broad basic policy of the Party and being conscious of our responsibility
and of the fact that the Government of the Republic of Uganda, District
Administrations and Urban Authorities are currently run by our Party and on
policies and programmes adopted by our Party and recognising our
responsibility to the people of Uganda as a whole and to the association of
Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya in the East African Community and to Ugandas
Membership of the Organisation of African Unity, do hereby adopt this
Charter for the realisation of the real meaning of Independence, namely,
that the resources of the country, material and human, be exploited for the
benefit of all the people of Uganda in accordance with the principles of
Socialism.
2. We hereby commit ourselves to create in Uganda conditions of full
security, justice, equality, liberty and welfare for all sons and daughters
of the Republic of Uganda and for the realisation of those goals we have
adopted the Move to the Left Strategy herein laid as initial steps.
3. We subscribe fully to Uganda always being a Republic and have adopted
this Charter so that the implementation of this Strategy prevents
effectively any one person or group of persons from being masters of all or
a section of the people of Uganda, and ensure that all citizens of Uganda
become truly masters of their own destiny.
4. We reject, both in theory and in practice, that Uganda as a whole or any
part of it should be the domain of any person, of feudalism, of Capitalism,
of vested interests of one kind or another, of foreign influence or of
foreigners. We further reject exploitation of material and human resources
for the benefit of a few.
5. We reject, both in theory and in practice, isolationism in regard to one
part of Uganda towards another, or in regard to Uganda as a whole to the
East African Community in particular, and Africa in general.
6. Recognising that the roots of the U.P.C. have always been in the people
right from its formation, and realising that the Party has always commanded
us that whatever is done in Uganda must be done for the benefit of all, we
hereby re-affirm our acceptance of the aims and objectives of the U.P.C.,
which we set out below in full:
(i) To build the Republic of Uganda as one country with one people, one
Parliament and one Government.
(ii) To defend the Independence and Sovereignty of Uganda and maintain peace
and tranquillity, and to preserve the republican Constitution of Uganda.
(iii) To organise the Party to enable the people to participate in framing
the destiny of our country;
(iv) To fight relentlessly against Poverty, Ignorance, Disease, Colonialism,
Neo-Colonialism, Imperialism and Apartheid;
(v) To plan Ugandas Economic Development in such a way that the Government,
through Parastatal Bodies, the Co-operative Movements, Private Companies,
Individuals in Industry, Commerce and Agriculture, will effectively
contribute to increased production to raise the standard of living in the
Country;
(vi) To protect without discrimination based on race, colour, sect or
religion every person lawfully living in Uganda and enable him to enjoy the
fundamental rights and freedom of the individual, that is to say:
Life, Liberty, Security of the person and Protection of the Law; Freedom of
Conscience, of expression and association; Protection of Privacy of his
home, property and from deprivation of property without compensation.
(vii) To ensure that no citizen of Uganda will enjoy any special privilege,
status or title by virtue of birth, descent or heredity;
(viii) To ensure that in the enjoyment of the rights and freedoms no person
shall be allowed to prejudice the rights and freedoms of others and the
interests of the State;
(ix) To support organisations, whether international or otherwise, whose
aims, objects and aspirations are consistent with those of the Party;
(x) To do such other things that are necessary for the achievement of the
aims, objects and aspirations of the Party.
7. Republicanism in Uganda, just like the political Independence of Uganda,
is now a reality, but the demand and struggle for Uhuru has no end. This is
part of life and part of the inalienable right of man. It is also the
cornerstone of progress and of the liberty of the individual, the basis of
his prosperity and the hallmark of his full and effective participation in
the affairs of his country. October 9, 1962, therefore, was the beginning of
a much greater struggle of many dimensions along the road of full Uhuru.
During the last seven years the U.P.C., by action and exhortation, has shown
to the people of Uganda that it is wrong and deceitful to treat and regard
the 9th October, 1962, as the end of the road; or the day on which the
people of Uganda as a whole reached a stage in their development when all
that remained was to divide the spoils on the principle of the survival of
the fittest; or that the well-to-do, the educated and the feudal lords must
and should be allowed to keep what they have, and get more if they can,
without let or hindrance.
The Party has always made it clear to the people that the only acceptable
and practical meaning of October 9th, 1962, is that the people of Uganda
must move away from the ways and mental attitudes of the colonial past, move
away from the hold of tribal and other forms of factionalism and the power
of vested interests, and accept that the problems of poverty, development
and nation-building can and must be tackled on the basis of one Country and
one People. The Strategy laid down in this Charter aims at strengthening the
fundamental objective of the Party. We do not believe that any citizen of
Uganda, once freed of the mental attitudes of the colonial past, freed of
the hold of tribal and other forms of factionalism, and freed of the power
of vested interests, will find himself or herself at a disadvantage. On the
contrary, it is our firm belief that such a citizen will gain that part of
his/her freedom which has so far been in the hands of others, and which
enabled those others to exploit for their own benefit not only the wealth of
the country, but also the energy of our people, thereby arresting the mental
development of our people.
8. Less than ten years ago the most prominent and explosive political issues
which faced the people of Uganda had in reality, and in practical terms,
nothing to do with the people as such. The issues were The form of
government suitable for an independent Uganda and Who was to be the Head
of State on the achievement of Independence? These issues were made to
appear as of national importance, not because when solutions were found they
would advance the lot of the common man, but because the feudalists, on
account of their hold on the people, saw Independence as a threat to their
then privileged positions and sought to make these positions synonymous with
the interests of the common man. It cannot be denied that the then
privileged positions of he feudalists were a barrier to the full and
effective participation of the common man in the Government of Independent
Uganda. The feudalists wanted to continue to rule as they used to before the
coming of the British and they did not want the common man to have a say in
the shaping of the destiny of an independent Uganda. That situation,
however, is no longer with us Uganda is now a Republic. We hold it as the
inalienable right of the people that they must be masters of their own
destiny and not servants of this or that man; that they must, as citizens of
an Independent Republic, express their views as freely as possible within
the laws of their country, made, not in separate Parliaments, but in one
Parliament in which the people as a whole have an equal say through their
representatives.
9. The Republican status, therefore, has taken Uganda further towards the
goal of full Uhuru. It must not be accepted, however, that our new status by
itself is sufficient, or that it has removed exploitation and has brought
full Uhuru. We realise that it is, by itself, an advance towards the goal of
full Uhuru, but because we are also convinced that more has yet to be done,
this Charter has been adopted, and its strategy is in our view a logical
development from the fact that we have been moving away from the hold of
feudal power since 1966. For so long as that feudal power was a factor in
the politics and economy of Uganda it could not be disregarded. Thus the
reason for this Charter. It must also be noted that in a society in which
feudalism is an important and major political and economic factor, that
society cannot escape being Rightist in its internal and external policies.
With the removal of the feudal factor from our political and economic life,
we need to do two things. First we must not allow the previous position of
the feudalists to be filled by neo-feudalists. Secondly, we must move away
from circumstances which may give birth to neo-feudalism or generate
feudalistic mentality.
The move to the Left is the creation of a new political culture and a new
way of life, whereby the people of Uganda as a whole their welfare and
their voice in the National Government and in other local authorities are
paramount. It is, therefore, both anti-feudalism and anti-capitalism.
10. In 1968, the U.P.C. Delegates Conference passed the following
resolution on the important matter of nation-building:
(a) NOTE with deep satisfaction the liquidation of anti-national and feudal
forces, and the introduction of the Republican Constitution;
(b) THANK the leaders of the Party and the Government on initiating the
revolution for economic, social and political justice;
(c) RECOGNISE that the most important task confronting the Party and the
Government today is that of nation-building;
(d) RESOLVE that its entire human and material resources be committed in
that task of nation-building;
(e) DIRECT that the National Council of the Party do examine ways and means
for active involvement of all institutions, State and private, in joint
endeavour with the Party to achieve and serve a nation united and one.
11. We have no doubt whatsoever about the high priority which must be given
to nation-building, and we are fully aware that there may be many people in
this country who are either uninformed or misguided, who have not yet come
to appreciate the importance of nation-building. We, therefore, consider it
our responsibility to inform the uninformed, and to guide the misguided. It
is also our responsibility to enlighten the people about the necessity of
all the institutions in this country and the people as a whole being
actively involved in the joint endeavour to serve the Nation.
12. When the U.P.C. proposes a policy or programme on behalf and for the
benefit of the people of Uganda, the meaning of the phrase people of
Uganda is always clear and definite. It is, One People under One Government
in One Country. Accordingly, over the seven years of Independence the Party
has indicated more than sufficiently that to belong to a clan, a tribe, a
linguistic group, a region or a religion, is neither an advantage nor a
disadvantage to any citizen of Uganda. The fact of being a citizen of
Uganda, however, is a decided advantage which gives him fundamental rights
and freedoms, and affords him full opportunity to exercise his social duties
and obligations to his clan, tribe, region or religion, save as forbidden by
laws passed by Parliament. These laws, as it is clearly stated in Principle
6 of the U.P.C. Aims and Objects, and in the Republican Constitution, are
desirable so as to enable all citizens to enjoy their fundamental rights and
freedoms without infringing upon the rights and freedoms of any other
citizens to do the same.
13. In seven years of Independence we have experienced that the mass of our
people are law-abiding citizens, who believe in the security of their
families, stable conditions around their homes and throughout Uganda; who
appreciate the need for expanding economic and social services, and who are
desirous to work hard to improve their conditions of living and participate
fully in political control of governmental institutions. This experience is
in contrast to another, namely, the desire of foreign powers and
institutions to choose leaders for us, to influence the policies of the
Government of Uganda to the benefit of foreign interests, and to use the
sons and daughters of Uganda to advance these interests. In our experience
we have not found a single instance where foreign interests have sought to
use the masses of the people to serve the interests of foreigners. We have,
however, had abundant instances where the well-to-do, the educated and the
feudal elements have been bought to serve the interests of foreigners. This
kind of corruption of the intentions and frustrations of the wishes of the
people may be tolerated in countries where nationhood has been firmly
established, illiteracy is almost unknown and other factional issues do not
play any important part in elections or in the formulation of Government
policies. Uganda has not yet reached that stage of development; but even
when we eventually reach that stage we will not tolerate, on principle, the
corruption of the intentions and the frustration of the wishes of the
people.
14. One of the most important considerations facing the people of Uganda, in
the view of the U.P.C., is the future of the youth. We have only to look at
the figures of all the young men and women in the Universities, in the
Secondary Schools, in other institutes of learning and in the Primary
Schools, to speak nothing of those who are at home, to realise that these
are citizens of Uganda who are being prepared to shoulder responsibilities
of consolidating further the political independence we now have, and to open
more and more avenues which will lead the people of Uganda to real economic
and social independence.
15. If, here in Uganda, we adopt the policy of developing our country and
preparing our youth within the confines of tribal Governments, tribal
Parliaments and traditions, and as tools of sectionalism and factionalism of
any kind, we would neither be making a contribution to the African
Revolution, nor would we be giving these young people what is within our
power to give them that is, the broadening of their horizon to look at the
whole of Uganda and not just a part of it as the centre and platform of
their operations. It is our duty and responsibility to accept these young
people irrespective of the corner of Uganda which may be their birthplace.
The whole of Uganda is their inheritance and we must not deny either all of
them or a majority of them or even a minority of them, their heritage. They
are growing in a different world a world very different from the world in
which those who faced the British when they first imposed colonial rule in
Uganda lived. Young people are growing in a world which is becoming smaller
and smaller, and for us to make that world even smaller by inducing them,
directly or indirectly, to become exponents of tribal Herrenvolk principles,
religious bigotry and fanaticism and feudalistic selfishness, and
capitalistic rapacities would be to do a disservice that Africa will never
forget, and a disservice that will certainly reduce the mental capacities of
our young men and women. Uganda cannot afford to be so heartless to her
youth.
16. It is not only the youth whom we must think about. Those who are grown
up are equally important. Even the old and the infirm are important. The
tribal confines and security are no longer strong enough to give them the
requirements of modern times, or to protect their lives and property or to
give that important recognition of human dignity and citizenship of a
sovereign state.
17. We reiterate the fact that the struggle for Independence was not a
struggle confined to people professing one religion. The colonial power
heard voices from all corners of Uganda. The struggle, however, was not that
different parts of Uganda should return to the days of tribal quarrels,
disunity and wars but to move to the new era wherein all people of Uganda
are one and the country is one, and to regain our dignity as human beings.
18. We recognise that ours is a society in transition. We want to bring out
our considered assessment of the present situation as the starting point for
our adoption of the move to the Left Strategy set out in this Charter.
Uganda is a country which is already independent politically. It is that
status that makes it the responsibility of the people of Uganda to shape
their destiny. Before the 9th October, 1962, the people of Uganda did not
have that responsibility or power. The sixty-nine years of colonial rule,
during which an alien way of life was not only planted but also took root,
resulted in the phenomenon of developing our human and material resources to
bear the imprint of this factor in our society. What was planted in Uganda
during the era of British protectorate appeared in the eyes and minds of our
people as the final word in perfection regarding the development of our
material resources and human relationship. Consequently, both before and
after Independence, our people have been living in a society in which an
alien way of life has been embedded. The result has been that most of our
people do not look in to the country for ideas to make life better in
Uganda, but always look elsewhere to import ideas which may be perfectly
suitable in some other society but certainly unfitting in a society like
ours. The more we pursue that course, the more we artificially organise out
society, our material resources and human relationship, and the more we
perpetuate a foreign way of life in our country.
19. We cannot afford to build two nations within the territorial boundaries
of Uganda: one rich, educated, African in appearance but mentally foreign,
and the other, which constitutes the majority of the population, poor and
illiterate. We do not consider that all aspects of the African traditional
life are acceptable as socialistic now. We do not, for instance, accept that
belonging to a tribe should make a citizen a tool to be exploited by and
used for the benefit of tribal leaders. Similarly, we do not accept that
feudalism, though not inherently something peculiar to Africa or to Uganda,
is a way of life which must not be disturbed because it has been in practice
for centuries. With this background, we are convinced that Uganda has to
choose between two alternatives. We either perpetuate what we inherited, in
which case we will build on a most irrational system of production and
distribution of wealth based on alien methods, or we adopt a programme of
action based on realities of our country. The choice adopted in this Charter
is the latter. We must move away from the ways of the past to the avenues of
reality, and reject travelling along a road where the signpost reads: Right
of admittance is belief in the survival of the fittest. To us, every
citizen of Uganda must survive and we are convinced that Uganda has to move
to the Left as a unit. Conditions must be created to enable the fruits of
Independence to reach each and every citizen without some citizens enjoying
privileged positions or living on the sweat of their fellow citizens.
20. The emergence and growth of a privileged group in our society, together
with the open possibilities of the group assuming the powers of the feudal
elements, are not matters of theory and cannot be disregarded with a waive
of the hand. Nor should the same be looked at from a doctrinaire approach.
It is for this reason that in this Charter we do not intend to play with
words, even if those words have meanings, such as Capitalism or
Communism. We are convinced that from the standpoint of our history, not
only our educational system inherited from pre-Independence days, but also
the attitudes to modern commerce and industry and the position of a person
in authority, in or outside Government are creating a gap between the
well-to-do on the one hand and the mass of people on the other. As the years
go by, this gap will become wider and wider. The move to the Left Strategy
of this Charter aims at bridging the gap and arresting this development.
21. We identify two circumstances in which the emergence of a privileged
class can find comfort and growth. First, there is our education system
which aims at producing citizens whose attitude to the uneducated and to
their way of life leads them to think of themselves as the masters and the
uneducated as their servants. Secondly, the opportunities for
self-employment in modern commerce and industry and to gain employment in
Government and in other sectors of the economy are mainly open to the
educated few; but instead of these educated few doing everything possible
within their powers for the less educated, a tendency is developing where
whoever is in business or in Government looks to his immediate family and
not to the country as a whole in opening these opportunities. The existence
of these circumstances could lead to actual situations of corruption,
nepotism and abuse of responsibility. It is unrealistic for anyone to
believe that the answer to such situations lies in the strict application of
the laws. Much as the laws might assist in preventing such crimes being
committed against the nation, it is our view that the answer lies in
tackling the roots of the problems, namely to generate a new attitude to
life and to wealth, and new attitudes in exercising responsibilities. Our
country is fortunate in that these problems have not taken deep roots and
the crimes which they generate and the crimes which they generate are
universally condemned by the society. If we do not take initial effective
measures to change the course of events at this stage of our history, it may
be too late to avoid violence in future years. It is because we are
convinced that this is the right moment to re-orientate our course that we
have adopted the measures set out in the move to the Left Strategy of this
Charter.
22. The ordinary citizen of Uganda associates economic development of this
country with a rise in his own private real income. This income may accrue
to him from self-employment, i.e., farming, fishing, cattle-keeping, or paid
employment. What is of crucial importance to the ordinary citizen is that
Government should provide him with certain social services free and that his
income should rise faster than the cost of living, so that he can afford
more goods and services for his own use. But there are also three other
major dimensions of economic development which must concern our Government.
These are the distribution of the national income, the structure of the
economy and the creation of institutions conducive to further development
and consistent with the Socialist Strategy outlined in this Charter.
23. Let us begin with the examination of the distribution of income in our
country. It is obvious that for development to take place there should be a
rise in the average income per head (per capita income). This can only occur
if the rate of growth of national income exceeds the rate of population
growth. For this reason our Government must always place great emphasis on
the fast rate of growth of the economy and the national income. Indeed,
increased production and wealth is one of the three major goals of the
current Plan (Work for Progress) 1966-71. We are fully convinced that this
emphasis is not misplaced, since raising the standard of living of the
Common Man in Uganda must be the major aim of our Government. It is
possible, however, for the overall rate of growth to rise without affecting
large masses of the population. This is a danger that we must guard against.
We must not either because of inertia, corruption or academic love for the
principle of the theory of free enterprise, fail to take bold corrective
measures against this danger.
24. There is also the danger that economic development could be unevenly
distributed as between regions of the country. The fact is that there is no
automatic mechanism within our economic system to ensure an equitable
distribution of the national income among persons, groups of persons or
regions. We need only to stretch our eyes not to the distant future but to
the years immediately ahead of us, taking into account the fact of our
present expanding economy, to recognise that if no new strategy is adopted
now, inequalities in the distribution of income will change dramatically the
status of millions of our people, and might result in our having two nations
one fabulously rich and living on the sweat of the other, and the other
living in abject poverty both living in one country. In such a situation
political power will be in the hands of the rich and the maximum the
Government will do for the poor will be paternalism, where the lot of the
masses will be not only to serve the well-to-do, but to be thankful on their
knees when opportunity arises to eat the crumbs from the high table.
25. The nature of our economy today is such that the resources are not
allocated by a central authority. The reality of the situation is that
allocation of resources in Uganda today is directly proportionate to the
distribution of income. The practical fact which emerges from this can be
illustrated in this way. If 5 per cent. of the population receive, say, 50
per cent. of the national income among them, this small minority possesses
the power to command at least half of the productive resources of the
country. With so much wealth at their disposal their consumption habits will
affect the whole economy. As it happens, these habits will be characterised
by the consumption of luxurious goods not produced in the country but
imported from outside, or produced in the country at extremely high cost. If
the goods have to be imported then the bulk of the population must produce
for export in order to pay for the import of such luxurious goods. Our
argument for a change to make it impossible for such a situation to develop
as a feature of Uganda, is that the consumption habits of the very rich not
only impinge directly on the disposal of one of the very important resources
of the country, namely foreign exchange, but also constitute a negation of
the real meaning of our Independence. The crucial point here is that
inequitable distribution of income leads directly to non-development of
resources which could cater for the consumption needs of the poor, since the
masses cannot afford to pay for the goods which would be produced, and
instead the economy becomes dependent on exports of primary commodities in
order to pay for imports of luxurious goods for the rich. The end result is
a constant problem of unfavourable balance of payments and external debts,
and a neglect of the welfare of the Common Man.
26. We must examine the argument in another way. A redistribution of income
which puts more purchasing power in the hands of the Common Man, who
constitutes the greatest proportion of the population, would give an impetus
to the development of local industries. This is because the needs of the
masses are unlikely to be of the luxurious type. As the mass of the people
of Uganda begin to acquire higher and higher incomes, they would in all
probability acquire more and more goods produced in their country; but to
open the door only to the rich to buy at high prices any quantity of
imported goods and locally produced goods at high costs, which put them
beyond the means of the Common Man, is to disregard the existence of the
mass of the population or to acknowledge their servitude to the rich.
27. The heart of the Move to the Left can be simply stated. It is both
political and economic. It is the basic belief of the Uganda Peoples
Congress that political power must be vested in the majority of the people
and not the minority. It is also the fundamental belief of the Uganda
Peoples Congress that economic power should be vested in the majority and
not in the minority, as is the case at present. It is therefore, our firm
resolution that political and economic power must be vested in the majority.
28. The structure of Ugandas economy is characterised by: an excessive
dependence on agriculture as a source of income, employment and foreign
exchange; a heavy dependence on exports based on two major export crops;
heavy dependence on imports, particularly of manufactured products; and the
limited participation of Ugandans in the modern industrial and commercial
sectors of the economy. It has therefore been the policy of the Party to
diversify the economy to make it less dependent of foreign trade, to promote
the participation of citizens in all sectors of the economy, and the Move to
the Left is intended to intensify these efforts through collective
ownership, viz. Co-operatives and state enterprises.
29. Economic development demands, among other things, capital (money). We
recognise that a country cannot depend upon capital from outside because
this, apart from being unpredictable, is subject to variation by various
factors and has always got strings attached to it. We are convinced from
experience that this country is capable of generating sufficient capital out
of the savings of all the citizens. We therefore propose that a suitable
means where savings of the citizens can be effectively tapped and correctly
channelled into further economic development should be introduced.
30. To this effect we propose that the system be based on the present basis
of calculation upon which wage-earners pay contribution of a fraction of
their earnings into the Social Security Fund. The basis of the calculation
of that part of the income of the wage-earners that goes into contributions
to the National Social Security Scheme should apply proportionately to the
income earned by all other persons, either by way of salary or other method
of determinable income. With the exception of the wage-earner who is already
required by law to make contributions to the National Social Security
Scheme, all other persons will either pa direct or have it deducted and paid
into an approved scheme.
31. The present banking institutions cater mainly for the needs of commerce
and industry. It is not possible for the peasants, who constitute the
majority of our population, to advance their lot through financial
assistance in the form of loans from these commercial banks. Even if they
were to do so, they would spend a substantial part of it, if not their
entire income, in paying back these loans. It is, therefore, imperative that
a new banking system, to be known as the Co-operative Bank, be established
to cater solely for the peasants who are members of the Co-operative Unions.
The policy of such a Bank should include a provision to the effect that the
Co-operative Union of the person applying for a loan from the Bank gives a
guarantee and takes over administration of the repayment of the loan, and
that the loan in the majority of cases should be given in relation to what
the applicant is already doing.
32. We reiterate the fact that there can be no investment unless somebody
first makes a corresponding saving. This applies equally to local and
overseas investment.
(a) With regard to local investment we have now proposed a scheme for
compulsory saving in a number of schemes, and the establishment of
Co-operative Banks.
(b) With regard to foreign investment we fully realise that foreign
investors want guarantees, and we consider that the Foreign Investment
(Protection) Act covers this adequately and generously. Much as we
appreciate the need to attract foreign investment, we are fully convinced
that the economic future of this country depends on local capital formation
and local savings and investment.
33. In future we would wish to see foreign investments coming into Uganda
under the Foreign Investment (Protection) Act, engaging in priority projects
and not projects decided solely on the basis of profitability. Similarly,
local investments should be controlled in such a way that they are made in
priority projects determined by the needs of the economic development of the
country.
34. In our Move to the Left Strategy, we affirm that the guiding economic
principle will be that the means of production and distribution must be in
the hands of the people as a whole. The fulfilment of this principle may
involve nationalisation of enterprises privately owned.
35. The issue of nationalisation has already been determined and therefore
it is a settled matter. It was in the 1962 Constitution, as it is in the
republican Constitution of 1967. Therefore no citizen or person in private
enterprise should entertain the idea that the Government of Uganda cannot,
whenever it is desirable in the interests of the people, nationalise any or
all privately owned enterprises, mailo and freehold land and all productive
assets or property, at any time, for the benefit of the people. The Party
therefore directs the Government to work along these lines.
36. In this Charter we lay emphasis first on the people being given massive
education in operating and establishing institutions controlled, not by
individuals, but by the people collectively. This massive education should
aim at re-orientating the attitudes of the people towards co-operation in
the management of economic institutions, and away from individual and
private enrichment. We therefore direct the Government to give education to
the people to acquire new attitudes in the management of our economy where
collective exploitation of our resources to the benefit of all will take the
place of individual and private enterprise aimed at enriching a few.
37. We must move in accordance with the principles of democracy. That is the
way that brings human progress. Ideas must be generated and sifted, and
citizens educated or not must be able to think for themselves, learn to
work together, and to participate in the processes of governing themselves.
38. The Move to the Left involves government by discussion. This Charter and
the principles enunciated herein should be widely disseminated through mass
media of communication, and discussed by study groups and individuals all
over the country.
39. Principles are a good thing but they are no substitute for hard work.
The success of the Charter demands full commitment of leaders to its
realisation, acceptance by the mass of the population, and hard work by all.
40. The adoption of the Charter provides an opportunity to the Common Man
for the realisation of the full fruits of his labour and of social justice.
EM
On the 49th Parallel
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in
anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni
katika machafuko"
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