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Uganda: Opposition Parties Must Exhibit Maturity
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The Monitor (Kampala)
OPINION
16 May 2008
Posted to the web 15 May 2008
Akbar Hussein Godi
The foolery over the utterances of Alex Onzima (Maracha County MP) while on a trip in West Nile with the President, is the clearest demonstration of lack of internal democracy within parties.
Mr Onzima resigned his post as a minister of defence in the opposition shadow cabinet, citing poor management within his Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party.
Last year Hon. Odonga Otto resigned his post as minister for youth, instead of FDC calling the National Executive Committee to discuss these issues squarely they rushed for disciplinary action, intimidation etc.
Serious members have continued to migrate from parties because of lack of principled management of party affairs, issues on consulting, unfair sharing of responsibilities such as foreign trips and individual conflicts continue to erode democratic principles within the opposition parties.
Even after constituting the shadow cabinet, there was no youth appointed minister. When I raised the issue Hon. Ogenga Latigo asked me my qualifications. Recently Hon. Cecilia Ogwal of Dokolo District and her group migrated from Uganda Peoples Congress to FDC. But UPC was not bothered. They only said those are undisciplined fellows. Ms Ogwal's point was that she can't remain in a party whose popularity can't go beyond Karuma.
Much as I welcomed my colleagues to FDC, I could not celebrate the departure of Onzima without understanding his issues. Onzima's strength cannot be underestimated. Maracha being one of the biggest constituencies in West Nile. Onzima is one MP in West Nile who can win massively without any party support, just like Hon.
Hillary Onek can in Acholi. That's why he is the only NRM Member of Parliament in the FDC dominated Acholiland. Perhaps this explains why FDC cannot dare say Onzima go! It could hurt the FDC strength in West Nile.
We can't afford to remain in opposition perpetually like DP. It's not wise that everything a party hears be addressed in a weekly press briefing. We risk turning a party into a weekly press briefing organisation, a practice that has confined most briefcase parties within Kampala.
The main reason we formed parties is to capture state power, but not to be captured. Our work in the opposition is not to massage government. If we remain in this zigzag, we are likely to be in opposition for some time. Our target is to change conditions of Ugandans and also have time to give another generation a chance to continue.
The opposition must rise to the occasion and assure Ugandans that the clamour for multiparty democracy is not yet lost, democracy is a set of beliefs, values and institutions.
Therefore standards must be set and respected by all of us if democracy is to survive, not just sitting down and start crafting disciplinary actions that can lead many to desert or defect. We should ask ourselves why Onzima acted as he did and see how we can help rather than shunning him. As much as NRM is not democratic, we should not fall into their trap.
The good example is the recent Buikwe elections where DP won. I wish the same solidarity is also exhibited in the forthcoming elections in Rubaga Division, Kampala. I insist Hon. Onzima should be heard rather than my colleagues falling on each other because of his statements. You know we are the leading opposition now in East Africa. We must keep our ears and eyes open in order to challenge the Kleptomania of NRM.
As J.F. Kennedy, former president of the United States of American, said, the only thing to fear is fear itself.
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The writer is MP for Arua Municipality and a member of FDC
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