Today is ‘01 AC (After Chogm) in Uganda. It is a day after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) ended in the capital Kampala yesterday – leaving President Yoweri Museveni displaying arguably the most endless grin and dreamiest look he has ever spotted since coming to power some 21 years ago.
During the Chogm week, a buoyant Museveni did some things he is not particularly renowned for; First, there was the bow before the Ugandan Parliament (many of whose members he does not have the highest regard for especially after bullying and bribing them to change the constitution to allow him stand beyond the originally stipulated two terms) after he addressed them before Queen Elizabeth II of Britain.
And then, as if to confirm that he was a man in clearly benevolent mood, Museveni was publicly seen hugging some of his colleagues – a privilege his own wife Janet has not (to the best of my knowledge) received publicly since the son of Kaguta came to power.
A colleague who spoke to Museveni and Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki during the post-Chogm interaction between the leaders and media representatives over lunch perhaps drew the best contrast; Kibaki was in Uganda only in body but his mind seemed to be back in his country where he is struggling through a tight campaign that he is not even very sure of winning, while Museveni cut a very relaxed picture. He was clearly relishing the meeting that would hand him the leadership of the Commonwealth for the next two years.
Even the tune of Museveni’s own government officials, lackeys, and hangers-on was rather refreshingly different. First, it was the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, who apologised for the traffic jams caused by his officers when they were undergoing mock drills on how to supervise traffic during Chogm.
Then, when Chogm itself rolled into town, the opposition was given a designated area in which they would be allowed to demonstrate. Although some opposition figures and groups nonetheless faced the wrath of some overzealous Museveni security operatives when those who attempted to demonstrate outside the designated areas were clobbered. Maybe some habits die hard after all.
Meanwhile, as some of his boys (and girls, maybe; who knows?) vented their anger on the opposition for trying to spoil their party, Museveni was at his best behaviour before the Queen and the more than 40 heads of states and government or their representatives, who had found their way to Kampala.
It is difficult to imagine how Museveni felt when the Queen, while addressing the Ugandan Parliament, paid tribute to Uganda’s “respect for the rule of law” and promised more support to the country to “deepen its democracy”. But it wouldn’t be entirely off the mark to believe he was in dreamland because in effect, he was receiving international endorsement for his efforts to “uphold democracy in Uganda”.
After such ringing approval from one of the most significant figures in the world, before more than 40 world leaders, the opposition can make all the noise it can and their voice won’t be heard. Or, if it is, then it will just be ignored.
This is especially so because the Commonwealth, soon after suspending Pakistan and after parting ways with Zimbabwe and its leader Robert Mugabe not so long ago, will not be too eager to antagonise any of its members – especially the country that will be in the chair for the next two years.
The result is that, should Museveni flout any of the rules that all members of the Commonwealth are supposed to uphold, there will be the customary barking from across the world, but very few countries will be ready to pressure the Ugandan President to follow the rule book.
With the benefit of hindsight, one can understand why Uganda’s leading opposition political group, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), has been up in arms against the decision by the Commonwealth to let Uganda host this biennial meting; a successful Chogm for Museveni means tough days ahead for them and any other Ugandan who tries to stand in the way of the Museveni juggernaut.
During the Chogm week, a buoyant Museveni did some things he is not particularly renowned for; First, there was the bow before the Ugandan Parliament (many of whose members he does not have the highest regard for especially after bullying and bribing them to change the constitution to allow him stand beyond the originally stipulated two terms) after he addressed them before Queen Elizabeth II of Britain.
And then, as if to confirm that he was a man in clearly benevolent mood, Museveni was publicly seen hugging some of his colleagues – a privilege his own wife Janet has not (to the best of my knowledge) received publicly since the son of Kaguta came to power.
A colleague who spoke to Museveni and Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki during the post-Chogm interaction between the leaders and media representatives over lunch perhaps drew the best contrast; Kibaki was in Uganda only in body but his mind seemed to be back in his country where he is struggling through a tight campaign that he is not even very sure of winning, while Museveni cut a very relaxed picture. He was clearly relishing the meeting that would hand him the leadership of the Commonwealth for the next two years.
Even the tune of Museveni’s own government officials, lackeys, and hangers-on was rather refreshingly different. First, it was the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, who apologised for the traffic jams caused by his officers when they were undergoing mock drills on how to supervise traffic during Chogm.
Then, when Chogm itself rolled into town, the opposition was given a designated area in which they would be allowed to demonstrate. Although some opposition figures and groups nonetheless faced the wrath of some overzealous Museveni security operatives when those who attempted to demonstrate outside the designated areas were clobbered. Maybe some habits die hard after all.
Meanwhile, as some of his boys (and girls, maybe; who knows?) vented their anger on the opposition for trying to spoil their party, Museveni was at his best behaviour before the Queen and the more than 40 heads of states and government or their representatives, who had found their way to Kampala.
It is difficult to imagine how Museveni felt when the Queen, while addressing the Ugandan Parliament, paid tribute to Uganda’s “respect for the rule of law” and promised more support to the country to “deepen its democracy”. But it wouldn’t be entirely off the mark to believe he was in dreamland because in effect, he was receiving international endorsement for his efforts to “uphold democracy in Uganda”.
After such ringing approval from one of the most significant figures in the world, before more than 40 world leaders, the opposition can make all the noise it can and their voice won’t be heard. Or, if it is, then it will just be ignored.
This is especially so because the Commonwealth, soon after suspending Pakistan and after parting ways with Zimbabwe and its leader Robert Mugabe not so long ago, will not be too eager to antagonise any of its members – especially the country that will be in the chair for the next two years.
The result is that, should Museveni flout any of the rules that all members of the Commonwealth are supposed to uphold, there will be the customary barking from across the world, but very few countries will be ready to pressure the Ugandan President to follow the rule book.
With the benefit of hindsight, one can understand why Uganda’s leading opposition political group, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), has been up in arms against the decision by the Commonwealth to let Uganda host this biennial meting; a successful Chogm for Museveni means tough days ahead for them and any other Ugandan who tries to stand in the way of the Museveni juggernaut.
1 comment:
Well said.
Post a Comment