By M. Suleman

11^th June 2012:

The drama of the East African Legislative Assembly [EALA] elections which started in Kampala ended with humiliation for the NRM in Arusha. Having outsmarted FDC and other opposition parties at home, NRM was upbeat and proceeded to Arusha, confident that with the rotation formula, the job of Speaker of the EALA would be for a Ugandan.

Dora Byamukama was picked by NRM and a team led by the NRM chief Whip Hon. David Bahati was dispatched to ensure that it happens.  Till they arrived in Arusha, everything was moving according to plan, and in the true NRM tradition. To outsmart FDC & Co, they worked with Democratic Party [DP] leader Norbert Mao.

This was not a surprise!  Many analysts have always alleged that Norbert Mao’s ascendency to the presidency of the DP was in fact an NRM project designed not only to destroy the DP from within, but also to disorganize Uganda’s opposition parties whenever they try to forge a united stand against the NRM.

Just like other NRM machinations, one could see that the whole EALA was inspired by tribalism, nepotism and greed – which are NRM’s enduring trademarks. While a decent organization would not risk exporting such a senseless project, the NRM arrogantly went ahead to field Byamukama as the preferred candidate for Uganda

Byamukama had been handpicked in line with the NRM tradition, not because she was the best for Uganda, but because she met the principles of tribalism, nepotism and greed as embraced by the NRM. Indeed, even some of her colleagues in the NRM like Ms Zziwa and Nusura Tiperu felt that Uganda deserved a better candidate

And so, as if by divine intervention, Ms Zziwa decided to offer herself with the support of Nusura Tiperu.  She defied the NRM party stand, she withstood the characteristic NRM threats, and the characteristic parochial NRM promises of bigger ‘things’ – and she overwhelmingly defeated Byamukama.

NRM got a shock – they never expected it. They were confident that the gutter politics that has worked so well for them in Uganda could be replicated in Arusha.  Despite their ‘spirited’ campaign, EALA legislators could not be fooled.  The NRM’s parochial politics, and possibly bribes, enraged the EALA legislators even more.

And their anger was shown clearly when they totally rejected Byamukama by a 30 – 12 majority.  It was not a mere defeat for Byamukama, it was a total rejection of her and all that she represented – namely, the parochial NRM dominated Ugandan parliament, the NRM party, and their politics of tribalism, nepotism and greed.

Above all, it was a contemptuous rejection of the low quality and low standards of the Ugandan politics and politicians.  As if that was not enough, Byamukama herself displayed disgraceful behaviour.  Byamukama forgot that Arusha is not Kampala where, according to the NRM, some people are entitled to every senior position.

She therefore could not believe that her beloved NRM, with its huge pockets, had failed to dictate terms in Arusha.  Although the NRM has been successful in filling posts in international institutions like the AU and UN based on tribalism, nepotism and greed, Byamukama failed to appreciate that our neighbours are more principled.

Her behaviour not only exposed the typical NRM/NRA arrogance, it also disgraced the Ugandan parliament and the country as a whole.  In an attempt to save the NRM’s face on June 7, Museveni told parliament that the NRM never had a preferred candidate.

This was a naked white lie coming straight from the so-called “fountain of honour” in Uganda – because Hon. Bahati and Hon. Tinkansimire had already publicly announced Byamukama’s candidature and had religiously campaigned for her as the preferred NRM candidate.

In short one can conclude that the events in Arusha exposed NRM’s rotten and parochial politics, rejected it, and poured scorn on it. The NRM may be a power in Uganda, but it is a non-entity and a disgrace in East Africa.  END.  Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.