The Weekly Observer (Kampala)
Anne Mugisha
2 July 2008
opinion
If there is anyone who even hopes that the Movement will roll over and let the opposition and a few disgruntled Movement leaders take power without a fight: wake up and get with the programme!
As 2011 approaches, the components of NRM's election strategy are taking shape and gladly there are no surprises. There will be the usual warnings that government will not hand over power to an unprepared opposition, there will be threats of going to the bush if dark forces win the election. We shall hear of coup plots created for the purpose of finding a reason to clamp down on opponents; we shall see youth brigades coming out to harass voters and intimidate opposition candidates and supporters. The media will be muzzled and security forces will become very interested in political gatherings, shedding some blood here and there. Come polling time, the Electoral Commission will act in accordance with the wishes of its appointing authority and the judiciary if given a chance will deliver its usual outcome.
NRM's strategy, however predictable; is outside our control. What is within our control and what we ought to focus on is our own strategy. If the NRM's strategy is predictable, it is because it has been a winning strategy in the past. It has not failed them in the last two elections and they find no reason to believe that it will fail them in 2011. We can also deduce that if the opposition does not alter its strategy, then we should expect the same outcome. If we field multiple candidates to run against a strong incumbent, disperse our already thin human and financial resources, spend a lot of time lamenting about how badly we are being treated; we will be robbed at the polls once again and to salvage our egos we may choose to cry some more before the Supreme Court, for a soothing judgment that will not solve our problem.
But we can also choose to stop being predictable and put an end to the charade that we engage in every five years to the Movement's delight and our own dissatisfaction. We have appealed to the media, international community, and the judiciary in the past and we know exactly where that got us: Nowhere!
We must appeal to the final arbiter and according to our Constitution that is the people of Uganda. In order for us to succeed we must act quickly and effectively to empower the population to defend their electoral choice.
Now, many people are skeptical about non-violence action in the face of trigger-happy security forces but I have come to believe that non-violence will fail only when there are not enough people engaged. There is only so much that a dictatorship can do in the face of mass action. As long as the opposition mobilises people in the tens of thousands, they are safe. If, however, the mobilization falls short and only a few people participate, they will be crushed as Mary Karooro Okurut promised.
If tens of thousands participate in civil disobedience, it becomes harder for the Police and Army to open fire because their survival instinct will stop them. Also, their children, uncles, aunts, parents and grandparents will be in that crowd.
Think for a moment about a historical moment in time when Boris Yeltsin, the former Russian President, stood on a tank during troop movements against the Russian White House on 19 August 1991. The military was attempting a coup, instigated by commanders trying to sabotage the will of the people. He said: "I believe in this tragic hour you can make the right choice. The honour and glory of Russian men of arms shall not be stained with the blood of the people."
Too simple? Sometimes the best ideas are abandoned because of their simplicity. In many people's minds, the Movement has become a monster that can only be removed through secret and complicated maneuvers. I doubt it. The Movement's survival rests on secrecy, manipulation, intimidation, and mystery. Attempts to fight the Movement using arms and intrigue fail because that is Movement territory. We cannot take the battle to their territory; we have to bring them to ours where openness, transparency, and accountability are our allies and their enemy. We have to openly withdraw our consent to their political machinations.
The Movement's power rests on our continued consent, obedience, and complacency. The reason that the whips and guns come out even for a small rally and opposition leaders are chased from radio stations is because the Movement's greatest fear is a mobilized population. If and when we rise together in tens of thousands and withdraw our consent to be governed under a dictatorship, nothing will stop us; NOTHING. And we do not need guns, bullets, machetes, or any weapon but our voices and our hands held together, standing together at the right time and in the right place.
Anne Mugisha, The author is a Special Envoy, Office of the President, FDC. , www.fdcuganda.org
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Weekly Observer. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
