FDC is trapped by Museveni’s Shs20m dirty money
By M. Suleman
29th Aug 2011: It is beyond debate now that Museveni does not believe in democracy. Since he usurped power in 1986, he has fought against any strong opposition party. While FDC had managed to contain the onslaught, this time, I think Museveni has set a trap which could bring FDC to its knees.
The 20million Shilling package given to all MPs just before the February 18th elections was a trap which Museveni laid for the FDC. While some far-sighted FDC MPs recognized the trap and immediately returned his “dirty money”, some are contemplating pocketing the money. Not only would this be the gravest mistake for the MPs who will choose to eat the money, it would be disastrous for FDC as a party too.
They are several reasons why FDC MPs should not pocket the money. To begin with, who gave the money to the MPs? Was there any prior engagement between the giver and the receivers? If not, how can “honourable” members of Parliament accept and pocket money from an invisible donor.
Granted! The “dirty money” went through Parliament’s financial system; but from which budget? Who oversees accountability of this money? Who determined the Shs20m amount and what criteria was used? What conditions were attached to the money? What necessitated the creation of the fund?
Apparently the money was given to facilitate supervision of government programmes! Was it ever considered that some constituencies may have few or no programmes worth supervising? Was the money calculated according to the number of programmes in each constituency? There is no doubt that this was taxpayers’ money. Parliamentarians don’t need extra facilitation to look after our money; it’s their job!
Their job is to oversee, not perform government duties. Supervision is for technocrats who have the technical-know- how that most MPs don’t have. Even if, for argument’s sake, some of them had the technical-know-how, the “dirty money” was sent to them when they had less than a month to vacate their seats. Did the giver have a list of those who would lose, retire, or be re-elected?
If he did, then did he expect those who will have lost their seats to continue supervising government programmes in their private capacities? Of course not! Museveni’s government can never answer these questions satisfactorily; because it knows exactly why it raided the consolidated fund to steal this money.
But this is a litmus test for FDC. FDC has led the crusade against Museveni’s predatory government, senseless government expenditure, and endemic corruption. The Shs20m is a classic example of that corruption that FDC has been fighting. Therefore, should some FDC MPs decide to take the “dirty money”, then in the eyes of the Ugandan public, it will have lost the moral authority to criticise government corruption.
The money also has another hidden agenda: To destroy the opposition as a whole! Museveni will now, quite happily, tell anyone who cares to listen that the opposition also qualifies to be considered “unpatriotic thieves”; just as he told President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.
Secondly, Museveni knows that Ugandans are obsessed with money and would do anything with a promise of a shilling. He has tested the integrity of some FDC MPs and found them to be no different from his corrupt NRM MPs who pocketed Shs5m to amend article 105[2] of the constitution to remove presidential term limits.
Lastly, FDC complained bitterly about the large sums of money given to the electorate to induce them to vote for Museveni in the last election; a fact [excess liquidity in the economy] that is now variously blamed for the current economic crisis. Therefore, if some FDC MPs decide to pocket the Shs20m “dirty money”, then they will find it impossible to divorce themselves from the current corruption and economic quagmire.
Neither can they say that “it’s not just FDC MPs” who “ate” the Shs20m “dirty money”, because two wrongs don’t and will never make a right. In other words, the NRM’s legendary immorality is no defence whatsoever for people who aspire to lead the country out of corruption.
The Shs20m is “dirty money”, stolen money, it is “Haram” and the FDC MPs who have not returned it should return it as quickly as possible. END. Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
