By M. Suleman

12^th Dec 2011: A handpicked Electoral Commission.  A weak judiciary, partisan civil service, partisan and personalized security system!  A gagged and compromised media, a besieged and compromised civil society, a controversial voter register, a muddled electoral processes, well organized ballot stuffing, bloodshed during campaigns, armed soldiers all over polling stations, coercion, patronage, and an infiltrated opposition.

No, I am not talking about Uganda’s 2006 and 2011 elections.  I am describing the similarity of the circumstances that led to incumbent Joseph Kabila being declared winner of the general elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC].  Indeed no one expected Kabila to organize elections that would be fundamentally different from those of Museveni organises in Uganda; after all Museveni is his mentor.

The political template for the triumvirate of Uganda, Rwanda and DRC is an open book. Similarly the response of the international community is also well known and expected, especially when it comes to DRC, Rwanda and Uganda.  The African Union [AU], as expected, applauded the elections.  That was the expected and well choreographed comical circus of African tyrants sticking out for each other’s election thefts.

Amidst these challenges however, credit ought to be given to the leading opposition leader Tienne Tsikhedi for his courage and boldness.  We also ought to applaud and compliment the DRC citizens and political activists in the Diaspora. They have been resolute, courageous, and united in their call for change from the countries they reside in.

They gathered in numbers in many countries around the world and demonstrated to call for change. In South Africa, they demonstrated in Pretoria by the Presidency, by the DRC embassy, by the ANC party offices in Johannesburg, and by British Prime Minister’s office at 10 Downing Street in the UK.

But most important were the DRC’s political activists, who, unlike some of their Ugandan counterparts, looked the other way when Museveni stole several sham elections.  The DRC demonstrations were better organized, but most importantly, they had ONE message, namely, a demand for political CHANGE in the DRC.

Never mind that there were 11 Presidential candidates.  No group emerged to demonstrate for this or that presidential candidate.  All they wanted was change and it was a good show of sincerity and patriotism.

Their united stand also touched and reinforced Tsikhedi’s courage to the extent that when he visited South Africa after meeting the Diaspora community, he was so confident that he figuratively declared himself President before the election.  He even went out of his way and promised to return Kabila to Rwanda because like their counterparts in Uganda who believe Museveni is Rwandese, many Congolese also believe Kabila is part of a Rwandese hegemony forcing itself on the people of DRC.

There is therefore no doubt that the Congolese Diaspora influenced the politics on the ground.  The fact that many presidential candidates rejected the results is testimony to that.  Kabila will definitely have a rough ride through his stolen term of office.  END.  Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.