Opinion: UJCC wants to give Mr. 1986 three more years for free

The Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC) an umbrella association of Christian leaders in Uganda has urged the government to postpone the forthcoming 2021 general election for three more years, due to the growing cases of COVID-19. The Christian Council wants the elections to be held in 2023 when the COVID-19 pandemic is contained” (Jonah Kirabo – ‘Religious Leaders: Extend elections for 3 years, change constitution to allow Museveni lead’ 23.12.2020, Nilepost.co.ug).

The Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC) wants to give President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni another three years in power. Another term without an election as we are awaiting the polls on the January 14th 2021. Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga now wants it extended when its only 22 days ahead. It is like 3 weeks to the due date. Therefore, the UJCC is really to late to the party.

An constitutional amendment needs more time. Even if the Special Force Command (SFC) invades the chambers and force the voting in favour. They still needs two or three readings. It needs to be sent to Committee and be voted for with possible changes to the law. Therefore, it needs time. Plus the National Resistance Movement (NRM) needs to convene NRM Caucus at the Entebbe State House. Also getting the final verdict from the NRM CEC. This is all making the process slower. There is also a need for accounted cash to be given to the ones that votes for this altering law.

It is just like the UJCC doesn’t care about the procedures and how laws are made. Especially altering the Constitution. This would be yet another change to benefit Museveni. Give him another term unelected like he was between 1986 to 1996. He has already had two terms without an elections in the past. It would be foolish to give him that again. Especially, when the elections of Tanzania, Burundi and United States went ahead even during these times of Pandemic.

If the government of Uganda is as great as the NRM always proclaim. They shouldn’t be weaker and lack courage to make safe elections happening like the other Republic’s did. These Christian leaders is just chasing the bag. They are vouching for the President and his cause. By coming with recommendation of keeping him power.

Giving a man who has been in office since 1986 doesn’t need another 3 years. There is no excuse or reason for him to linger. If he haven’t done it yet, it will never happen. The old man cannot sustain or be able to revolutionize government services. If that should have happened. It would have been in the early 1990s and not now. His not interested in that, but only keeping power.

If the UJCC suddenly receives envelopes and SUVs. I wouldn’t be shocked. They have done a service to the old man. They have shown token loyalty and been mouth-pieces for him. Just 22 days ahead of the polls. This is ass kissing and if they were trying to compete. Only Ofwono Opondo and Andrew Mwenda would be further up his ass.

UJCC is a disgrace for doing this. Giving Museveni more time? Who are they kidding here? That is mockery and wanting Constitutional Amendment to give it legitimacy. If the President wanted to do that. He should have pushed his majority MPs a while back and if COVID-19 was such a crisis. Why didn’t the President invoke “State of Emergency”? Something he never did, because then he would be even more accountable to the Parliament by law and that is hectic for him.

President Museveni doesn’t deserve more time. He should have retired a long time ago. However, he never did and the state shows it fatigue by having him there. Peace.

Tchad: Ministere des affaires Etrangeres de l’Integration Africaine et des Tchadiens de l’Etranger – Communique de Presse (22.12.2020)

Russian Probe: If your innocent why pardoning the team?

President Donald J. Trump granted 15 individuals pardons yesterday. This is a clemency from Federal Prosecution and crimes. However, the President doesn’t have powers to circumvent state prosecution or investigations into people. Therefore, the limit is still there.

There is speculation about how these pardons was done… but most likely he traded the cards with several of donors and gave way to some, as they are his team and he doesn’t want them to rat him out after his time in office.

However, when your pardoning people like George Papadopoulos and Alexander Van Der Zwaan. These are not the most prolific people in the Trump Campaign Team of 2016. These was implicated in the collusion with Russia. The supposed “hoax” the President that has called it. Dismissed the Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the whole investigation. Where the President have blocked all witnesses and Congress investigation into it. They have made it impossible to dig into the truth.

These two was part of the Trump Team and they lied, they obstructed justice and the Trump Campaign even said their works was unimportant at one time. I remember Papadopoulos was called a “coffee boy” and a man serving coffee shouldn’t need a pardon. He should instead get some cream to make the coffee tolerable for more people.

So, if these people was innocent. Then they wouldn’t need to get pardoned, but appeal their cases and get it thrown out of courts. Just like all the election petitions in 2020. The Trump Campaign only shows that the US is broken system. Where the crooks can work together and if one of them get into office. The man in-charge can bail them out of the legal jeopardy they got into.

That these two are getting off the hook. Just shows what Trump intends to do. He has already helped his long term ally Roger Stone. There will be others who gets the help of the President. Especially now in the final days of his reign. This man will give clemency to the ones who was loyal to him. We can expect others being picked out and getting pardons. This being Paul Manafort or several others who was indicted. The man has already saved Gen. Michael Flynn. So, there is no reason for him to not save the whole gang.

What we can learn from this? Well, that foreign interference and working with foreigners in an election is cool if your Republican and Trump. However, the GOP and Trump Stans will die on this hill. We cannot expect anything else by people who eating the words of Newsmax, OAN and Fox News. Even Qanon is their voices of reason and that is Cult45 all over it. These folks will not care that the American Republic is traded for gold and licenses deals by their dear leader. No, they are following Trump blindly. So, that he worked with Russia to win is fine. The ones who are against communists and the reds, but can get help from Moscow. The ironies are so enriching from the outside.

Presidency of Trump has achieved a lot. There is a lot of damages to cover and fix for the administration. That the Department of Justice have been weaponized and therefore the up-coming investigations needs to be partisan and independent. There is a need see it and what to expect.

Trump clearly is a crony capitalist and a man who easily get corrupted. That is why he needs others to cover-up for him. Trump needs his allies, especially after he lost all his leverage of office. The Donald needs his former team to be on his side. As there are investigations into him and his businesses. He will be in court and these cases will be moved further. His executive privilege will be history. Therefore, he doesn’t need Papadopoulos and Van Der Zwaan has to be on his side. So, they will not tell more on him or expose him more. The man cannot afford that. Well, the man isn’t paying taxes. So, there is not that much he really can afford. The man has everything to loose and that’s why his few allies are bailed out and getting clemency. Though by doing that. He shows that the Trump Campaign was far from innocent. Because, if they needed pardons then they weren’t innocent at all. Peace.

Opinion: Museveni is repeating the oppressive means of Obote II

The man who promised a “fundamental change” and be a different from the ones before him. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni promised a lot, but however these days it shows no difference between him and the second Dr. Milton Obote II regime. He is using the same means against opposition and activists.

The abduction and suddenly detaining of Nicholas Opiyo yesterday proved it. As he was taken by law enforcement in plain clothers from a restaurant in Kamwokya. Later it was reported that he was at the Central Investigation Division (CID) at Kireka. However, they have suddenly charged him with money laundering and such. That is just an easy way freeze accounts and find excuses to have behind bars.

It wasn’t only Opiyo who was abducted yesterday. His team was also taken-in. These was Simon Peter Esomu and Anthony Odur. Which shows that anyone can be taken by the state operatives for no apparent reasons these days.

There been reports of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leaders and candidates who has been taken and in-custody without any warrants. The National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters have been attacked by soldiers as they were preparing for rallies. They were wearing red and posters of Bobi Wine. That was enough to get either brutally hurt by them or arrested to unknown locations.

These days the regime doesn’t have the State Research Bureau (SRB) which was a torture dome and where people was taken too. Today the Internal Security Organization (ISO), Chieftain of Military Intelligence (CMI) and other outfits are using not only CID Kireka, but also ungazetted safe-houses for the ones that is abducted by the state. This sort of operation have gone on for long and court cases proved it. However, the election is only showing the lack of space for opposition in the Republic.

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) is acting like Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) under Dr. Milton Obote II did to the Democratic Party in the 1980s. Where MPs was arrested, gerrymandering and abduction of people. There is no difference there. Only new names and parties, but the parties are clearly acting alike.

Now the green of the DP isn’t the deadly sin, but wearing the red or blue is the problem. If you are associated with NUP or FDC you can expect legal trouble. You can get abducted for weeks without warrants or charges. The people who is abducted is able to get access to get attorneys, neither are they freed after 48 hours without a trial. They are just keeping them indefinitely and hoping nobody is blowing the whistle on the injustice.

The NRM is repeating the ills of the previous regimes. They are using the military, expanded the Presidential Entourage and finding new measures to suppress the public. The President is blaming the victims and using words that even Obote did in 1983.

Where Obote said: It is convenient for them to make allegations in order to hide the effect of losing support and the lack of policies to put to the electorate” (Leon Dash – ‘Violence Poisons Political Process Within Uganda’ 01.12.1983, Washington Post).

We can hear the NRM saying similar these days. They are deflecting and hoping people are forgetting the ones abducted and arrested politically during these times. That would be very convenient for them. As we are following the campaign trail and what’s happening to the main candidates. While the lingering supporters and smaller candidates… can be behind bars without anyone defending them. Some can even be at a safe-house and their families have no clue where they are taken. The ones abducted to unknown locations. Just because the state can do so… Peace.

Ethiopia: 53 Political Parties have lost their licences in 2020

The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) have been pre-occupied with preparing for elections for a long time now. As the House of Federation have postponed the General Elections, which is slated now for 2021. Because of that the NEBE have twice run through the procedures and gathering information, documents and signatures of the parties. To check if they are viable or are working accordingly to the law.

With this in mind ahead of the elections. The NEBE have two times year revoked parties licenses. First in May 2020 and now in December 2020. They are clearly doing it with a iron-fist. As they are really targeting plenty of parties here. The NEBE had a base of requirements and all of these parties didn’t cut it.

It is a massive load of parties. Today alone 26 parties lost their licences to operate and in May 2020 it was 27 more. That is an total of 53 parties that has lost their licences just this year. On this is list isn’t Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) which are now a “terrorist organization” and enemies of the state. This was a political party until the conflict in November 2020. However, that party was neither listed nor in the discussion of NEBE at this point.

Here are the two lists.

26 cancelled parties of 22nd December 2020:

The Existence of Amhara for Ethiopian Unity

Oromo Unity and Democracy Federal Peace Change Party

Oromo Abo Liberation Front

Oromo Independence Unity Front

United Oromo Liberation Front

Oromo Liberation Democratic Front

Oromia Liberation Democratic Party

Ethiopian Democratic Party

Dube and Degeni National Democratic Party

Agwo Democratic Party

Oromo Democratic Union

All Ethiopian National Movement

Oromo National Congress

Oromia Independence National Party

Union for Democracy and Freedom

Somali Patriotic Party

Afar Revolutionary Party

Somali Regional Democratic Union

Consultation for Unity and Democracy Party

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP)

Ethiopian Peace and Democratic Party (EPDP)

Unity for Democracy and Justice Party:

Ethiopian People’s National Movement

Nezberake Amhara Organization

Unity of the People of Finfine for Justice and Democracy

Harari Revival Movement

There was a list from 15th May 2020 too with another list of parties that was revoked their licenses. Therefore this is second big drive of cutting away parties and taking away their licenses to operate. The previous list of parties was these:

Full list of parties whose licenses have been revoked:

1. Ethiopian Democratic Unity Movement

2. Geda System Advancement Party

3. Yem Nation Democratic Movement

4. Denta Dubamo Kechinchila People Democratic Organization

5. Ethiopian National Unity Congress

6. Tigre Worji Nationality Democratic Organization

7. All Amhara People’s Organization

8. Ethiopian Unity Democratic Organization

9. All Amhara People’s party

10. Ethiopians National Movement

11. Southern Ethiopia Democratic Congress

12. Sheko and Regional People Democratic Organization

13. Freedom and Peace for Ethiopia Unity Party

14. Ethiopian Visionary Party

15. All Ethiopian Democratic Party

16. Kambata People’s Congress

17. Hadiya Nation Democratic Organization

18. Omo People’s Democratic Union

19. Dil Webi People’s Democratic Movement

20. Bench people’s Democratic Organization

21. Silte People’s Democratic Party

22. Afar People’s Liberation Party

23. Somali Unity Party

24. Freedom for Unity and for Justice Party

25. South-West Ethiopia People Union

26. National Renaissance for Peace and Development

27. Gambella Regional Movement” (FANABC – ‘NEBE cancels licenses of 27 political parties’ 15.05.2020).

We are clearly seeing direct act of the government towards these parties. They are really taking out as many as possible. So there is less choices. Some of these parties was most like partly defunct and some was “brief-case parties” but others we cannot know. However, the reactions to the revoked licenses should say something.

If there is no reaction or no dismay over the deregistering of them. Then they didn’t have a purpose or a platform to begin with. They were only an entity on paper for someone who had an idea, but never made it happen. NEBE is issued to this and check their registries, but doing it at this big of scale. Speaks volumes of their actions and we can wonder what they really want to achieve.

That is for another day. Peace.

Ghana: Electoral Commission – Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is President-Elect of the Republic of Ghana (22.12.2020)

Zimbabwe: Movement for Democratic Alliance (MDC-Alliance) – MDC-Alliance President Nelson Chamisa Unity Day Message (22.12.2020)

Uganda Law Society (ULS) Statement on the Illegal Arrest of Advocate Nicholas Opiyo (22.12.2020)

Ethiopia: If we can’t speak up for the dead [than we can’t speak at all]

This warfare that is being done in the Tigray Regional State, the Law Enforcement Operation launched on the 3rd November 2020. That the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF), Eritrean Army and Amhara Para-Military (Fano) all deliberately acting on behalf of the central government and their agenda to end Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

Prime Minister Abiy and his Prosperity Party is going hostile towards all its enemies. Political or anything else. Silencing anyone who reports other stories than the ones the state accepts. The state controls the media houses and their opportunities. The state blocks all venues of communication and orders law enforcement on the ones that dares to challenging it. This being either Oromo organizations or political parties. This being TPLF and the people of Tigray itself. They are all under attack. Arrested, political prisoners and extra judicial killings. This is what the state does..

That is what is worrying. This one-sided mannerism the state of infuriating pains and suffering, which is unknown. Only fragments of witnesses that is fleeing Tigray gets to tell their stories to reporters and humanitarians in Sudan. Therefore, the knowledge we do have is “old” and not fresh actions. Not the newest operations or mission within the region. It is hard to know what extent or what the government does. The voices are silenced and only a few small headlines passes through.

What we need to do. Is to get independent investigations into the conflict. To ensure that victims gets answers and their kin too. So, that the brutal conflict can get an end and justice to the ones that died by either association, unluck or just because they happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. There are so many people dying in a conflict with no name or no history. They are just bystanders and citizens who happens to be living close to a battlefield or a strategic village. These are burned, destroyed and met a hostile force retaliating against their enemy. While these citizens just happen to live there and wasn’t even entertaining the conflict itself. Still, these lives matters, because they could be us. We could be those citizens one day… and we don’t want to die over nothing and that it didn’t matter to anyone.

There are so many loved ones scorned in a conflict. So, many families who has lost their loved ones. Not only soldiers, militias and Tigrayans. No, Oromo have lost plenty over the years and it continues. There are other conflicts happening too.

Soldiers will be remembered and be written in books. However, citizens of smaller villages will only be remembered by a chosen few. Still, these people mattered in their community and within their sphere. These folks deserves to remembered and not forgotten. They have lost their lives because big-men fight. Big men want the glory and the honour. The big man want all the power and bravery to his name. A big man want to consolidate all power and get rid of the ones in his way.

That is why PM Abiy acts like he does. He does it to prove a point. The burning villages and destroyed families is a saga he doesn’t want told. However, he wants the glory of victory and winning battles. Even if he battling his own ego and his own spirit. As he fights to keep himself ahead while haunting after the next enemy and the next battle he needs to overcome.

So, there will be more fatalities and this will not stop. When it was so easy to order war on one part of the Republic. He can easily do it to another. That if he deems them as enemies they will burn too.

This is why we needs to speak up for the dead. The dead cannot speak and they have already left this realm. However, to not forget their lives. We will mention their names and stories. Remind ourselves about what happened and hope for justice. Hope that their life wasn’t taken in vein, but for a grander purpose. So, that we can become better people and create a better tomorrow. Because, nobody should die for nothing, but be remembered for something. These lives shouldn’t be silenced and forgotten. These folk deserves better and death shouldn’t be the final end. However, it should be second life and the ones taking their lives should answer for it. These folks should justify and give reasons to why they did what they did. There should be inquiries and investigations into every bullet taking a life. Every life taken by the air-strikes and drones. The state should answer for it. Especially, since its a “Law Enforcement Operation” and Law Enforcement should address the reason for why they used fire and lifted their cannon. The Law Enforcement should explain the usage of force and reason behind it.

I doubt this will ever happen. However, nobody should be killed, become a fatality without answers. That is devaluing life and endangering the rule of law. That is injustice and impunity, which shouldn’t be promoted by a so-called constitutional government. A constitutional government should secure the well-being and value life. Not only take life and expect people not to address the despair of all the ones dying in the hands of government sponsored law enforcement. Peace.

Human Rights Lawyer Opiyo arrested in Kampala

The Human Rights Lawyer Nicholas Opiyo was arrested by security officers in plain-clothes earlier today at Lamwaro Restaurant in Kamwokya in Kampala today. This after his house was raided by unknown people a few days ago.

This is going after a government critic and lawyer who works for human rights and against injustice. So, because of what he does. He gets arrested too. Not that this was warranted or have any open charges on the lawyer.

The location of the arrested lawyer is unknown … and we don’t even if these security operators was part of CMI, ISO or anyone else within the authorities. Because, this is just arresting and abducting a civilian for no apparent reason. That is what the state does to its critics.

Usually they are mobilizers or activists for a opposition and they are getting phony charges. These are taken away at night or early morning. Later the party and organizations wonders where they members and activists are. Therefore, what happened to Opiyo isn’t a new thing, but a worrying sign still.

That someone like his is targeted and easily taken of the streets without any warning. That the state can issue an arrest and abduct him without any precautions. This isn’t a good look. We can wonder how many more who is taken away like this and who is monitored by state. As they have been following Opiyo for a while.

The government of Uganda doesn’t want good press. They just want depressing news, apparently. Peace.