Otunnu’s Social Movt is the best
By Peter
Dear Suleman, thank you for your article. First of all, you may be right that the IPC with UPC would have a chance to bridge the gap in the political relationship between the North and Buganda. You are also right in assuming that all the opposition are united on the goal of removing President Museveni.
However, what you did not seem to have considered is the basis of the unity beyond targeting Museveni for removal from power. I am not a UPC man but I understand and agree with the UPC president Olara Otunnu who called for a Social Movement in a non- partisan way to agitate for free and fair election.
Without creating the institutions for free and fair election, Museveni as an individual can be removed by hook or crook or he may remove himself by natural causes but the country will still be left with the same rotten electoral system. In other words, the face of the president can be changed without changing the abominable institutions (election rigging, corruption, sectarianism etc) which we all love to hate.
If the people rally together under the banner of the Social Movement and demand for free and fair election, there will be nothing that Museveni, even with his military, can do to stop the march of history. The Americans booted out the British in 1776, Ghandi booted out the British from India in 1949, more recently Maldovians booted out their dictator.
In West Africa, a number of dictators were given the boot. Even in Uganda, the much feared Amin was shown the door. The IPC is just one option of trying to foster Unity. The Social Movement is another option in which everyone regardless of political parties, religious affiliation, ethnic or nationality will be welcome. As the ex-Katiikiro of Buganda said today, unless citizens feel that their demands are met, they may resort to actions that the regime will not be able to control. We have seen that in the former Zaire. So, history is on the side of the people, not the oppressors. It is just a matter of time.
