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Uganda: Term Limits Good for National Planning
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New Vision (Kampala)
OPINION
14 May 2008
Posted to the web 15 May 2008
Agaba Abbas
Kampala
I have been following the debate on the opening of term limits in Uganda and Cameroon. This is part of the broader discussion of Col. Muamar Gadaffi's reflections on leadership, reflected in his statement during the recently concluded Afro-Arab conference that was held in Uganda in March.
When Uganda removed term limits, members of the opposition referred to it as life presidency. But If the Constitution gives people the power to choose the leader of their choice, then they should not be limited on how many times they choose that leader. With the return of multiparty politics, parties are free to determine whether their candidate can lead them into power again.
In the National Resistance Movement (NRM), the winning candidate is nominated as the party flag bearer and the presidential candidate. This is likened to football teams which continuously present their good scorers whether young or aged, new or old.
In the UK, for example, a party is free to field any candidate for the post of prime minister for as many times as its members wish. This is why Tony Blair was able to stand for three consecutive terms as British prime minister but his party requested him to make way for Gordon Brown instead of going for a fourth term.
In the US, a president serves a maximum of 2 four-year terms. If, the constitution allowed Bill Clinton to stand for re-election in 2000, he would have swept the polls given his popularity at that time and even today. The exit of Clinton, therefore, cost the democrats the presidency.
According to Gadaffi, leaders with term limits are engaged in electioneering and fail to make time to effectively plan for their people. They either concentrate on rewarding those who voted for them or coming up with strategies on how to win the next elections. The question of who plans and implements the national development then arises. In Africa and other less developed countries, good leaders should not be those who come and go per se but those who leave a fundamental mark on the lives of people they lead.
It is wrong for leaders to be judged as good or bad, popular or unpopular but rather, they should be judged as effective or none effective.
Effective leadership is characterised by effective service delivery in terms parameters like good roads, free or affordable quality education, access to clean water, free quality health services, the availability of sufficient food for consumption and sale, reasonable shelter, commercial agriculture, availability of markets for goods, industrialisation and the availability of jobs.
The recent amendment of the constitution of Cameroon to allow term limits as is the case in the UK and other European countries, is a rekindle of isolated voices to strengthen what is now popularly known as 'people's power'.
What is good for the goose should be good for the ganda. If the opposition comes up with popular candidates, why the reservations about the term limits if they believe in democratic means as changing government?
We need to contemplate on whether we should adopt short but open term limits or give our leaders enough time while in power to plan for their people.
We should, therefore, apply what works for us not simply adopt anything because it works for others.
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The writer is the National Chairman of the NRM Youth League
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