The NRM National Chairman, President Yoweri Museveni, has said that Uganda would have avoided a lot of problems if there had been dialogue long time ago.
The President was speaking at the second Interparty Organization for Dialogue (IPOD) Summit last evening at Protea Hotel in Entebbe.
Running under the theme ‘Putting Uganda First,’ the Summit attracted representatives from different Political Parties including President General of Democratic Party (DP), Mr. Norbert Mao, Acting President of Justice Forum (JEEMA) Mr. Muhammad Kibirige Mayanja and President of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), Mr. Jimmy Akena. Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Party leadership boycotted the Summit.
The summit that was funded by the Netherlands Institute for Multi-Party Democracy, sought to address such matters like public funding for political parties, public order management, the issue of independents in a multiparty political system and electoral system reforms.
In his remarks, President Museveni informed the leaders that the reason why former leaders of Uganda, such as Kabaka Edward Muteesa and Idi Amin, had failed in their leadership, was because they were very arrogant and failed to dialogue.
“If they had dialogued, they would have found solutions. If I don’t want to dialogue in politics, I should go home and look after my cows. Leaders must be able to talk. It is a Biblical command so long as someone has a mouth,” he said.
The President told the meeting that they must seek to work for the soci- economic transformation of their people even if they are of the opposition side.
He informed them that it was during the time when he was in opposition that he made tremendous changes in his society such as persuading people to stop nomadism and shift from subsistence to commercial agriculture.
Some of the leaders, he added, told me then that I was misleading the people by telling them to make fences for their farms. Opposition, he observed, does not mean that you don’t work for the progress of your area.
“This book entitled ‘From Grass Thatched to Modern Houses’ captures the work that I did between 1966 and 1995 when I was in opposition,” he said.
In his opening remarks, IPOD Chairperson, Norbert Mao, noted that the presence of President Museveni at the Summit was an indicator that political decisions were going to be made and met.
He added that it was also a clear opportunity for the ruling Party to make what he termed ‘clear-cut decisions that will level the political environment in the country.’
On the issue of some of Political Parties that had boycotted the Summit, Mao noted that these had to give clear reasons as to why they did not attend because all Parties receive Shs.1 billion funding from the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy and participated in the agenda setting in meetings of the IPOD Council.
“Those who boycott should change their attitude. They refuse to attend because they think it will water down their image as opposition parties simply because they are sitting in a meeting next to President Museveni. Why would you be uncomfortable in partaking a meal when you have participated in preparing it?” he asked.
Mao also noted that dialogue was very crucial to create peace and stability. He reiterated that if they decided to use force, the economic costs of confrontation would be too high for the country to bear.
“We are all capable of flexing our populist muscles by taking the disputes we have with the ruling party to the streets. But by doing so, we shall be putting the future of the peaceful co-existence and democratic stability in Uganda at stake,” he noted.
After the closed session of IPOD had ended, a couple of resolutions were issued in a joint communiqué that was read by the organization’s Chairman Nobert Mao and signed by leaders of the different parties.
1. Regarding public funding for Political Parties, it was agreed that funding for parties would increase to Shs.35 billion up from Shs.10 billion in the financial year 2019/2020.
2. On Public Order Management (POMA) Bill, it was proposed that the draft POMA regulations as proposed by the Council of Secretaries General in concert with the Attorney General and the Prime Minister, be studied by the National Security Council team and give feedback to IPOD within two months.
3. Turning to the issue of the regulation of Independent Candidates, the Summit adopted the proposed draft by the National Consultative Forum with such amendments as have been proposed by the IPOD Council of Secretaries General, including the requirement for certified resignation of an individual from a Political Party 12 months prior to general elections; and that once elections are lost in the Party Primaries, such an individual shall not take part in the General Elections.
4. On electoral reforms, it was agreed that candidates sponsored by Parties shall not be required to collect signatures from the electoral areas for representation. A review of the nomination fees is to be made to make vying for political offices, be more affordable and inclusive. The IPOD Council shall determine the threshold of the amount refunded to the candidates in case a candidate loses elections. It was also noted that the Electoral Commission and the Ministry of Local Government shall harmonize the procedures and processes of coming up with new electoral units and that bye-elections shall be held only when an MP dies or resigns.
5. Newly created constituencies and administrative units shall only hold elections in either a specified period, for example, within the months between May – July of any given year or to hold such elections in the next election cycle to avoid the costs and disruption of over electioneering.
Acting JEEMA President, Muhammad Kibirige Mayanja, appreciated the idea of dialogue saying it was constructive to the nation.
“Today we discussed freely most the issues that have been raised, as each side has raised their ideas openly. We shall, therefore, continue supporting dialogue,” he said.
He added that the implementation of what was discussed would show whether the ruling party was serious or not in the next two months. UPC President, Jimmy Akena, said despite the fact that there are many issues that different parties might not agree, they must forge ahead through dialogue. He noted that UPC is in support of all dialogue efforts in order to make a better Uganda.