Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa
19 March 2008
Kampala — Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi on Tuesday urged President Yoweri Museveni to rule for life as long as he has the will of the people.
Officiating at the closure of the 10-day Afro-Arab Youth Festival at Speke Resort in Munyonyo, near Kampala, Colonel Gadaffi said that he has no faith in Western-style democracy that emphasises multiparty politics and presidential term limits.
It "only fuels divisionism in Africa, a continent already shattered by colonial imbalances", the Libyan leader claimed.
Addressing Afro-Arab youth delegates from 30 countries, Col Gadaffi, speaking in Arabic, said Western-style democracy is incompatible with the African system.
"Why should a leader relinquish power when he is doing good things for his people? There are people who talk about term limits .What are they [term limits]? A constitution is simply a document drafted by people."
Col Gadaffi added: "A leader should only leave power by the will of the people for example; President Museveni came into power through revolutionary means not the vote. How can he simply go?"
This is the second time Col Gadaffi is urging Mr Museveni to stay on, the first was during his visit in 2001 - when he promoted the president's son Kainerugaba Muhoozi, then a second lieutenant to the rank of Major.
According to the East African Newspaper report of May 21 2001 - at a meeting of the ruling Movement's National Executive Council, Gaddaffi recommended that Ugandans do away with elections, and Museveni, as a "revolutionary leader", be allowed to reign forever.
Museveni didn't contradict him firmly, only telling delegates to consider it as "food for thought."
In a dramatic speech yesterday, lasting one hour, Col Gadaffi, who has ruled Libya for 39 years, cited President Museveni and Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe as 'true' African leaders. "We have President Mugabe and President Museveni here as true African leaders. They are visionary and should stay," he said.
He also singled out Senegal, which he said has 60 political parties based on the 60 indigenous tribes.
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