By Dr. David Matsanga in Geneva
I am retired from opposition politics after 40 years in it -When you study Political Science like I did to the highest Iota you are governed by characters and values. Another hidden law in politics is timing.
When you lose value in politics it is because of bad timing. Do some of our Members of Parliament of Uganda understand what Parliament is? Is Parliament a building (Structure)or Is Parliament the people inside the building. The current debate on where to sit is not necessary. Parliament can sit anywhere in the territory of Uganda.
I have decided to answer this by looking for the meaning and I have shortened it here for educative purposes “In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries”
Now armed with this meaning above I want to educate the young opposition generation in Parliament of Uganda today -In doing so I want to quote one USA Senator called Chris Dodd: I don’t care how long I live. I’ll never be that good.”
These were the words muttered by a shell-shocked Chris Dodd, after spending a few hours in the presence of Bill Clinton, by then several years removed from office. The same words can apply to some leaders of opposition in Uganda
In light of the debate about Parliament doing rotational sittings across the regions I stand with the Speaker Anita Among and others MPs from Northern Uganda. I believe that Parliament is not the building but the people in it and the people they represent.
But in Uganda, the politics that we have today has the types of ideas of political neophytes. The current opposition has a fragmented new leader of opposition whose politics is very immature and subjective.
My question does such politics help the growth of our country? Or it helps to breed conflicts in Uganda. At times I feel sick and sad then look back at 1979 when we had the UNLF politics of “Moshi Spirit” of Prof Edward Rugumayo. President YK Museveni, Magode-Ikuya will agree with me that 1979 politics was better if it had not been spoilt by Binaisa who wanted to arrest us and kill all of us.
The truth is that Uganda opposition parties have not mastered what role to play in governance. In real constitutionalism which I read in the fountain of knowledge in United Kingdom one needs a mind that reads laws and interprets them.
But first the term representatives of opposition (excluding my own clan relative Baptist Nambeshe) have not even read the constitution of Uganda. The Parliament are people and people are found in the rural areas called villages in Uganda – sitting in the Gulu or Mbale City is the best way to listen and feel the poverty issues of those people – that is real point.
As a scholar of political science I rely on the brain and history – Let me bring in another quote by Andrew Young, a one-time staffer to Senator John Edwards who wrote in his tell-all book,-The Politician”
I recommend that the LoP in Uganda whose gigantic egos and partisan entrenchment has gone sour must read . One thing that can’t go unchallenged is my greatest exponent of politics .
For those Ugandans who might not have opportunity to research I summarize what is related to Uganda current opposition politics of betrayal -This book is an Insider’s Account of John Edwards’s Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down is a 2010 tell-all book by Andrew Young chronicling over a decade working behind the scenes with former North Carolina senator and presidential candidate John Edwards”
So it was with an unexpected wave of pathos that when I watched and listened from Geneva to the LoP in Uganda Parliament deliver I concluded it was time to educate but not confront . I have chosen to start few lessons for the young opposition that could help them understand the Parliament and the people.
The statement that I heard from far away was in bad light. It looked like saying he hates going to sit in Northern Uganda which could rekindle Luke’s dream in 1978.I instantly thought back to 1978 about the late President Prof. Yusuf Kironde Lule speech during the Inauguration “in case anyone has forgotten, Lule behaved like the current Leader of Opposition(LoP)
Lastly let me offer free education to Ugandans ,First, this is a young party NUP, needs education on Parliament and people .They must separate tribal sentiments that could remind us about regional politics that brought chaos in Uganda.
Second, that this NUP is a party boasting a deep bench. A party that is frozen if not on the verge of senility and it has suddenly that it has not got talented communicators.
I want to say it here without fear that like Dodd, none in NUP can beat President Museveni in his prime. I want to praise NUP with faint damn. This is a party in rude health with the iniquities and idiosyncrasies that can be seen from one million miles away from Uganda.
In summary Parliament are People not buildings and Parliament for the People. It can sit anywhere in Uganda and make laws as long as the tools of making those laws are available to all Members of Parliament. So, Speaker Anita Among is again right on this one.
The writer is a Pan Africanist based in London, Political scientist & International Relations expert, studied conflict Resolution, a member of Royal African Society (RAS) Founder /Chairman Pan African Forum (UK)Ltd @MatsangaDr
