NRM Primaries-Final before the Final!

By: Tumusiime K. Deo

International Communications Consultant

Kampala, Uganda 26 /10/2015: In the beautiful game of Football, when two giants meet say at Quarter Final or Semi-Final stage, we often call such a scenario a Final before the Final. Reason being that the preferred scenario should be to have two giants at the very final game to afford spectators a spectacular moment.

The game of Politics is however quite apart from Football, and as is the case with the ongoing business within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, the game is currently prevailing among the same team members, a big game at that. Quite like training ground stuff-yet in reality, the results of this NRM vs NRM game could pretty much determine the scoreboard come February 2016. One wonders then-Where’s the opposition?

Again like is the case with Football, this NRM team is insanely rich just as the likes of Manchester United or Barcelona or Real Madrid. They can afford a hefty price to pay for a world star player in Museveni, just as Real Madrid coughed 80 Million Pounds to fetch Christiano Ronaldo from Manchester United. And while all this luxury prevails, these folks are happy to take to the pitch and compete against lowly teams that can only afford a handful Pounds in payment for new signings.

Well, the pitch may be leveled, the number of players may be the same on either side and the referee may be agreeable to both sides, BUT the balance of play is unquestionably tilted towards the ruling Party, thanks to a number of factors in their favor; they have colossal sums of money to put up showy primary elections across the country; they have representation in every corner of the country thanks to co-option local leaders as NRM representatives; they are 29 or so years to the good in experience; and needless to say, they are in the thing, the thing is them and they are the thing. At the end of the day, the 2016 Presidential and General elections look in every sense to be a mere formality, which will unfortunately cost the country a bounty that could otherwise have been put to more developmental purpose.

But tell you what? It is so boring having the Ballon d'or oscillate between Christiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Lionel Messi, year after year. Yes the two are undoubtedly the best in Football on the planet, but for purposes of fairness of the game, it would be nice to widen the yardsticks for selection to accord other players chance to win the accolade. Back to the talk of Politics, Ugandans have known only one President since 1986. Certainly such a scenario of dominance in Football would be absolutely boring and frustrating too-not that it’s any more palatable in politics. I am sure many a player and many a manager must have by now ran out of ideas on how to oust the NRM star man, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Incidentally, no manager wants to rest his star performer in key games unless he is injured. And to make matters worse for the opposition, while Mr. Museveni is actually injured, it is only his finger and yet he needs the brain and two feet to keep scoring goals. Aw, Politics, what a game!

Hmmm, and Parliament voted in time to set tougher conditions supposedly for all teams but with the obvious target being the smaller teams that are already struggling in everything but the desire for change. Is there anything as bad as a hungry man watching over food but not having the stamina to even pick a crumb off the master’s table? In Tunisia, Mohamed Bouazizi set himself ablaze out of hunger and frustration, and I hear folks that hate the United States of America with so much passion have resorted to everything desperate including ending their own lives cheaply. Yet at a period when the world so cherishes democracy as the only way to change leadership, I am worried but the opposition has very few options other than preying on leftovers.

Talking of Democracy, the NRM has taken it to another level, inculcating it in-house as espoused in the ongoing Primary elections. With the big shots in the likes of Kahinda Otafiire, Tarsis Kabwegyere, Daudi Migereko, Jessica Alupo and others already confirmed kicked out, the exercise can only work to galvanize the believability in the efficacy of the NRM irrespective of what opponents might think of it. Suddenly we could even wake up to Musician-cam politician, my namesake Raggae Dee taking over the mantle as Lord Mayor of Kampala!

On the balance of the game though, I think Uganda’s politics has quite matured, only that further sidelining the traditional opposition may not quite deliver the true fruits of a democratic nation. Internal democracy within NRM is a good thing of course, but it may not be sufficient in terms of ensuring the necessary checks and balances that define an affluent society-the kind that Uganda aspires to be.

I urge all Ugandans to embrace peaceful coexistence during the looming campaigns and elections, because at the end of it all, Uganda is here to stay. Even if some of the desires of the present generation may not be realized today, at least it is imperative to clear the ground, and our children or grand children shall look back to our contribution with admiration to vindicate our efforts. Perhaps we Uganda could be opening the page for a new shade of democracy. I am Watching the sprouting through my binoculars, through the ventilator of my house!

God bless Uganda, For God and My Country!