This morning, I shared my thoughts about our current governance challenges and the critical reforms we need to solve them. The discussion took place at the ongoing consultative workshop on constitutional and electoral reforms organized by our leadership in Parliament.
I reminded the meeting that we live under a military dictatorship that disregards the rule of law, undermines state institutions, and maintains power through family rule. Gatherings like this one are only tolerated because the regime does not perceive them as a serious threat to its ultimate goal of retaining power.
I added that in terms of democracy, Uganda has regressed to 1973, with a more cunning and strategic version of Idi Amin now in control. Thus, discussions on democracy and reforms may occur, but they will likely remain confined to conference rooms and not translate into tangible change until we recognize that our primary duty is to remove the Museveni dictatorship.
I based my remarks on the fact that’ since the first election it organized, the regime has employed various tactics to suffocate the opposition and limit their ability to engage with the electorate. Opposition candidates and their supporters are always intimidated, arrested, subjected to military violence and even murder. From the 2021 election alone, we have over 100 countrymates lying in graves, and even bigger numbers languishing in prisons just because they identified with us.
Those experiences should teach us that for as long as the Museveni regime remains in power, Uganda will never experience fair electoral processes or uphold constitutional governance because it is through denying its opponents any political fairness that the regime sustains itself in power
Reported by : Clinton Mirrors Ampaire