By Sam Evidence Orikunda
One of the reasons that has kept NRM in power for the last 30 years is being accommodative and allowing different people with different ideas. Our strategy has always been clear, to accept that everyone can’t agree with you politically and what you have to do is sit with your opponent talk to him nicely, sell your ideas to him and convince that person to join your side, that’s how we have been able to have strong opposition people join NRM and some are already Ministers.
I first heard the word “mole” from FDC and they used to refer to Mugisha Muntu and team whom they accused of being in bed with NRM. Many people in FDC party up to now do not recognise Gen Mugisha Muntu as a real opposition man. They think he has two sides, this is because the general believes in politics of peace and doesn’t embrace violence.. I do not think it would be bad for Mugisha Muntu to be close to NRM because after all this would allow him to fish from the NRM side and hence widening his force and achieving his primary intentions.
How many of opposition people would allow an NRM person to attend their gatherings? In fact if they realized that he is part of the gathering he would be killed, unless the person goes disguised, that’s a very bad sign because when you want to become president you look for support of people in order to vote you, all votes count in Uganda, there will not be any person who will vote and his or vote isn’t counted because he is NRM or FDC.
Out of these bad signals of lack of tolerance and accommodating different people with different ideas, the opposition has now involved in violence, politics of threatening opponents and thuggery, this started with Besigye when he introduced defiance where people would break laws intendedly as a way of getting into power. The people who now call themselves new political force has taken it up and its becoming to heavy for them with a number of their leaders in coolers already. With violence you cannot rule out loss of Lives, destruction of property and suffering.. The situation looks as though its a war yet in actuality its violence.
If I could borrow something from religion, when Jesus Christ came on earth he found people when they had their gods, they were so much into evil acts, Jesus a great leader and politician would have defied laws of the then leaders but he didn’t, in fact he encouraged his followers to respect their leaders and the laws that govern their society those leaders could have been having a number of problems just like Opposition accuse NRM, they could have overstayed in power, but he ignored this perhaps he valued peace and love between people. Jesus Christ recruited people one by one, he did this by sitting them down and telling them what he was going to offer to them if they believed in him, people appreciated and followed him and by the time he died we believe he had recruited the whole world and that movement through Christianity has stayed for two thousand years and still growing.
This kind of abusing the people you’re against publicly and on campaigns doesn’t work. Ugandans remember well that during age limit removal debate the opposition resorted to violence, some decided to endlessly sing the national anthem and make sure they stop peaceful debate in the house, this ended into fights in Parliament and security came in to restore sanity. At the end of the day the constitution was amended and the former lost. Sobber analysts described the opposition as unserious people after all these events. Those who were calm and peaceful achieved what they supported, this would have taught them that violence has no place in Uganda and Ugandans do not believe in it.
Social media especially Facebook is the Evidence of what am talking about, thousands of people on Facebook believe that when you don’t support Bobi Wine and Besigye you shouldn’t live. That’s why anything posted against Bobi wine or Besigye will attract thousands of insults some will threaten to kill you if they come across you just because of your views, they forget that each person is entitled to their ideas and if you disagree you prove him wrong you don’t insult.
In fact most of the NRM cadres are now threatened and scared they cannot freely express their views on Facebook, any opposition person who reads this will say they have achieved and they will be so happy.
The opposition should know that if at all they need power, they will have to takeover a country that is in good state, they will need to take up a country with people who live together in peace and who peacefully talk and eat together, when you’ve killed all that you will have to start with reconciliation which is not very easy by way, the NRM took up a Ugandan society which was divided basing on tribes and religion but later people reconciled and agreed to live and work together that’s why we have recorded development and a number of achievement.
Accept different persons and the way they’re. Appreciate the fact that they hold different views on what you believe in. They are entitled to their ideas and its their right, if you mistreat, insult, or manhandle any of them because of that then you’re losing credibility of becoming a leader and you shouldn’t waste people’s time.