Category: Corruption
WikiLeaks Series – Pre-2010 General Election in Burundi: Part One.
This here now will be a part of series of WikiLeaks discoveries on Burundi. For people who are not part of the Francophone world a lot of the information here will be new. Therefore I choose to drop it. It will be all pre 2010-Election in Burundi. This series will be directly about the preparation of the 2nd term of President Pierre Nkurunziza and his party the CNDD-FDD. This is part I. Enjoy!
Government of Burundi’s starting message:
“Minister of Good Governance Venant Kamana characterized the legislative problems within the National Assembly as primarily a dispute over the constitutionality of Nkurunziza’s government. Kamana explained that there are two major points of contention between the government and the major opposition parties. According to Kamana, the opposition claims that they have constitutional rights to a proportion of government positions based on the election results of 2005” (…) “Nkurunziza construed their refusal to comply as a desire not to participate in the government and therefore formed a new cabinet independently. Kamana suggested that any further dispute about the constitutionality of the government be decided by the constitutional court and further warned that any attempt to claim that the government is unconstitutional and without authority would provoke public disorder” (…) “In light of the recent arrest of the former Central Bank Governor, Kamana did not understand FRODEBU’s claim that nothing was being done with respect to the Interpetrol. Kamana also disputed FRODEBU’s assertions that various cases of embezzlement have been ignored and said that cases of embezzlement have never been filed at the office of the Prosecutor General. Kamana acknowledged that the Muyinga case is currently in the hands of the military prosecutor who has current jurisdiction” (…) “Nkurunziza and his National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) loyalists are clearly going on the offensive by addressing their concerns and reasons for the economic and political stagnation directly to the people” (WikiLeaks, 2007).
Outside view of the CNDD-FDD:
“The leader of Burundi’s MRC party and member of the National Assembly, Epitace Bayaganakandi, shared his perceptions of the political impasse plaguing the Burundi government with the Ambassador on August 6” (…) “Bayaganakandi claimed that FRODEBU, UPRONA and the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) party each have 2 wings consisting of those who actively seek cooperation and compromise with Nkurunziza’s government, and those who refuse to participate in the legislative process. He noted that certain factions of the Union for National Progress (UPRONA), the Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU), and even the ruling CNDD-FDD party do not want to share in the blame and the responsibility of the problems plaguing Burundi today and are instead distancing themselves to protect their political agendas for the future” (…) “Bayaganakandi stated that his predominately Tutsi MRC party was less than 5 years old, originating during Burundi’s transitional period following the civil war. Bayaganakandi declared that the objective of his centrist MRC party was to be a catalyst for institutional change throughout Burundi’s political, economic and social spectrum. Unfortunately, he complained, since 2005, little or no change can be seen other than in the areas of security, education and health. Instead, Bayaganakandi points to corruption, human rights abuses, extrajudicial killings and various financial scandals as the major contributions of Nkurunziza’s ruling government” (…) “In particular, in light of recent scandals and political failures, Bayaganakandi urged President Nkurunziza to take heed of the distinction between political positions and technical positions. Bayaganakandi explained that appointees to critical positions cannot be made out of loyalty without respect to their relative experience. He pointed to the naming of Isaac Bizimana, a former cashier for the CNDD-FDD party, as the Governor of the Central Bank and who is now in custody for possible misappropriation of funds in the recent Interpetrol scandal” (Wikipedia, 2007).
Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) party member and former Burundi President Domitien Ndayizeye view:
“Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) party intends to hold onto power well into the future and accused President Pierre Nkurunziza of progressively moving away from a government based on democratic values towards a military dictatorship more akin to the culture and past of the ruling CNDD-FDD party” (…) “Burundi President Domitien Ndayizeye opined that the CNDD-FDD is unwilling to work with opposition parties and intends to hold onto power well into the future. The former president surmised that the CNDD-FDD is actively marginalizing all Hutu opposition as well as those parties predominantly representing the Tutsi minority” (…) “The FRODEBU leader lamented that the ruling CNDD-FDD party would rather reward good militants rather than using Burundi’s educated loyalists to help manage Nkurunziza’s government. He emphasized the need for a nation to have an army rather than having armies for political parties. Ndayizeye believes that Nkurunziza has eyes only for a military that will fight for the President and expressed his concern that Nkurunziza could become a dictator led by the military in much the same fashion as was detrimental to Burundi’s stability in the past” (…) “President Nkurunziza should respect Burundi’s constitution and the Arusha Peace accords upon which the constitution was founded. In addition to Nkurunziza’s departure from the constitution, the former president insisted that Nkurunziza refuses to commit to dialogue with other political factions and Nkurunziza’s action are running counter to national reconciliation, both significant priciples brought forth from the Arusha accords” (…) “Nahimana claimed that the CNDD-FDD party was rejecting the Arusha accords during the September 2006 ceasefire talks with the PALIPEHUTU-FNL and and only accepted the Arusha principles by force” (…) “Political observers have speculated that Ndayizeye, who is still a popular and influential figure in Burundi and who was jailed in 2006 by Nkurunziza on suspicions of plotting a coup, is seeking personal revenge against the current administration and the CNDD-FDD party, and may have his sights on the presidency once more” (WikiLeaks, 2007).
CNDD-FDD Party Leader Nyangoma is critical:
“Nyangoma, who returned to Burundi on July 15 after 10 months of temporary refuge in France, cited corruption, the lack of movement within the Parliament, and poverty as the major components to a growing ‘institutional crisis’. In offering a solution to the political quagmire, he emphasized the need for immediate dialogue between the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) party and the major opposition parties” (…) “Nyangoma also suggests that the specter of war still plagues the population, strengthened by the lack of progress in the ceasefire process, and the abundance of weapons among the Burundi people. The situation is further aggravated by the inability of the government of Burundi (GOB) and the PALIPEHUTU-FNL to negotiate in good faith as dictated by the September 2006 ceasefire agreement” (…) “the CNDD party head suggested that various portions of Burundi’s constitution should be changed to improve the electoral process. He further hoped for the creation of laws that would govern the political opposition process, stating that it was necessary to have a credible opposition for an effective democracy” (…) “He proposed that an international commission, specialized in the investigation of economic crimes, should be put in place to delve into suspected improprieties by the current government since its inception. He compared his proposal to the recent effort by a similar commission that investigated the controversial sale of the presidential jet. Nyangoma stated that the GOB needs the trust of the international donor community and implied that Burundi’s financial and developmental partners had no confidence in believing that resources were going to the right places” (…) “Nyangoma also suggested that another international commission be created to shed light on all suspected crimes against humanity and human rights committed by the current administration, such as the extrajudicial killings in Muyinga and the arrest and prosecution of the suspected coup plotters in 2006. Noted for his staunch allegiance to a strong judicial process, Nyangoma questioned why Nkurunziza’s administration insists on separating justice from reconciliation. In the spirit of the Arusha peace accords, Nyangoma advocates the installation of a truth and reconciliation committee to investigate the abuses of the past” (WikiLeaks, 2007).
Afterthought:
Hope you got some new knowledge. And to be continued!
Peace.
Referance:
WikiLeaks – ‘BURUNDI’S GOVERNMENT TAKES THEIR MESSAGE ON THE ROAD’ (20.08.2007) Link: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/07BUJUMBURA584_a.html
WikiLeaks – ‘BURUNDI CENTRIST PARTY LEADER SEES PARTY DIVISIONS AS KEY TO POLITICAL IMPASSE’ (21.08.2007) Link: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/07BUJUMBURA591_a.html
WikiLeaks – ‘BURUNDI’S FORMER PRESIDENT WARNS OF A MILITARISTIC CNDD-FDD PARTY’ (13.08.2007) Link: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/07BUJUMBURA571_a.html
WikiLeaks – ‘CNDD PARTY LEADER NYANGOMA SPEAKS CRITICALLY OF BURUNDI’S GOVERNMENT’ (01.08.2007) Link: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/07BUJUMBURA550_a.html
The election in Florida in year of 2000 – What did Governor Jeb Bush do?
Remember back in the old days when I was watching national-TV and reading tabloid papers. This is all back to the year of 2000. Which is already 15 years ago, there has happen a lot in that time. Still much is the same. This here will be a reminder on a certain person and his brother place in an election that got George W. Bush elected for the first time as president in the United States. His actions as a brother Jeb Bush as a governor of Florida gave way to the then new president. With certain affirmative actions and choices gave George W. Bush and edge over democratic candidate Al Gore. This also lead to his fall and him ending up making an environmental documentary feed himself. So what did Governor Jeb Bush do? Why do I write about this today? What haven’t I written about it before? For a reason, it hasn’t been necessary to address it.
Krosnick said this: “Bush’s placement at the top of all Florida ballots almost certainly allowed him to win that state, given the closeness of the contest” (…) “George W. received an electoral boost by the fact that a Republican – his brother Jeb – is governor”(Research, 2000).
“Between May 1999 and Election Day 2000, two Florida secretaries of state–Sandra Mortham and Katherine Harris, both protegees of Governor Jeb Bush–ordered 57,700 “exfelons,” who are prohibited from voting by state law, to be removed from voter rolls. (In the thirty-five states where former felons can vote, roughly 90 percent vote Democratic.) A portion of the list, which was compiled for Florida by DBT Online, can be seen for the first time here; DBT, a company now owned by ChoicePoint of Atlanta, was paid $ 4.3 million for its work, replacing a finn that charged $ 5,700 per year for the same service” (…) “, Florida’s Supreme Court had twice ordered the state not to do so, just months before the voter purge. Nevertheless, at least 2,873 voters were wrongly removed, a purge authorized by a September 18, 2000, letter to counties from Governor Bush’s clemency office. On February 23, 2001, days after the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights began investigating the matter, Bush’s office issued a new letter allowing these persons to vote; no copies of the earlier letter could be found in the clemency office or on its computers” (Palast, 2002).
Here will be main information from Volusia County in Florida and the electronic issues that this certain election had. Black Box Voting had memoes and timelines. This here is the information worth remembering:
“Two memory cards were uploaded from Volusia Couny’s precinct 216, the second one was loaded sometime close to 2am in the morning. It automatically replaced the first card’s results and reduced Gore’s total by 16,022 votes and added several thousand votes to Bush plus a variety of minor candidates;
– Both memory cards loaded into the system clean and without errors, indicating (contrary to the official line) that they were not faulty;
– After the error was noticed the original card was reloaded and the mistake was rectified;
– The error was introduced in such a way that the total number of votes remained unchanged (again something that could not happen by chance.);
– According to the technical boffins, the chance of the memory card being corrupted and still passing the checksum error test are less than 60,000 to 1;
– The technical managers at Diebold Election Systems considered it a reasonable possibility that the second card was part of deliberate conspiracy to rig the election results” (Thompson, 2003).
“If the Palm Beach ballot had been subjected to the usability testing that most commercial software now undergoes (or, at least, should undergo), the problem would have been detected. With only 550,000 registered voters in Palm Beach County, an astonishing 19,000 ballots were eliminated for having been double-punched. Assuming a roughly 60 percent turnout, that represents an astonishing rejection rate of six percent. And that’s not even counting the statistically suspicious counted vote of 3,000-plus for Pat Buchanan” (Trachtenberg, 2000). Furthermore: “The Florida Supreme Court ordered only a recount of so-called “undervotes,” about 62,000 ballots where voting machines didn’t detect any vote for a presidential candidate” (Factcheck, 2008). Even more ballots was played around with: “According to unofficial tallies, 1,547 overseas absentee ballots — about 40 percent of the total Florida received — were thrown out by county elections workers, mostly because they lacked either a date or a signature, or in some cases because they were not filed by registered voters” (Dougherty, 2000).
The problem wasn’t gone by next election in 2004: “Florida undertook a similar purge of voter rolls in 2000, but that list was shown to include the names of many who were not felons. The new effort at such a purge, begun by Governor Bush’s administration in May, was supposed to be free of those problems. But after a state judge last week ordered the release of the current list, it became clear that thousands of felons who had been granted clemency were still on it” (Fessenden, 2004).
Afterthought:
With all this evidence of rigging the 2000 election in favor of his brother George W. Bush, we can all ask ourselves, do the GOP or the Republican Party live with it? This is the start of the preliminary election in the USA. Where the parties try out and see which candidate who has most traction and also in the public eye and has the x-factor to become the next president. The numbers are staggering considering the actual voting numbers in certain counties that has lost their ability to vote in that election of 2000. When knowing that the voters in these counties would by big reckoning vote for the Democratic candidate Al Gore. So that the result got so marginal after second round voting and needing of supreme court to accept the result. This is something a big democratic nation shouldn’t do. The way the technical issues, the double ticking off and unreasonable numbers of voters shunned for elections should be warning sides. Set off an alarm. That Jeb Bush the governor of Florida with help of his helpers. The candidacy of his brother got a first place on the ballot. Secondly many voters and counties where they dominantly vote for democrats lost bases of voters because of Ex-Felon laws, even if many of these voters apparently wasn’t really felons. So with this helping hand he led us and the world into the second Bush era. That gave us Britney Spears and the whole shebang – George W. Bush president of USA. Thanks to his brother Jeb Bush and Florida Voting laws. Also were the modern day election-technology and this memory-card-scandal that discarded many voters because they got cleaned or the numbers and then didn’t add up. Some even claimed that the second memory-card had other voting numbers that was prepared and rigged. If that is so: then it’s even worse than discarding, but actually fraud. This wasn’t an election to get George W. Bush to become class-president or prom-king. Here is about the state that would seal the faith of him or Al Gore. That was played out because of family affairs. Also how Jeb Bush had chosen any kind of method to get his brother to win in his state. If people forget this and all the valuable information from this time then GOP should pick another man to be their presidential candidate. That is if they are wise. If they want a man the world will trust, it will not Jeb Bush. Because of his track record even if it is 15 years ago. It stills a reminder of how you can use any kind of tools to hit the dry-wall and get the result you wish. So let’s hope that this reminder is put into action in a real way. Credibility is a fickle thing and the public usually forget. Hope somebody else then me remembers this scandal. Peace.
Reference:
Dougherty, Jon – ‘JUDGE ORDERS FLORIDA’S MILITARY VOTES COUNTED’ (12.09.2000) link: http://www.wnd.com/2000/12/2256/
Fessenden, Ford – ‘Florida List for Purge of Voters Proves Flawed’ (10.07.2004) Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/10/us/florida-list-for-purge-of-voters-proves-flawed.html
Factcheck- ‘The Florida Recount of 2000’ (22.01.2008) Link: http://www.factcheck.org/2008/01/the-florida-recount-of-2000/
Reserch – ‘STUDY: BUSH’S PLACEMENT ON TOP OF FLORIDA BALLOTS GAVE HIM EDGE’ (09.11.2000) Link: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/bushfla.htm
Palast, Greg – ‘Ex-con game: how Florida’s “felon” voter-purge was itself felonious; Annotation; election law; Brief Article’ (01.03.2002) Link: http://www.diggers.org/freecitynews/_disc1/0000001e.htm
Trachtenberg, Mitch – ‘Florida’s User Un-friendly Election Ballot’ (12.11.2000) Link: http://www.alternet.org/story/10076/florida’s_user_un-friendly_election_ballot
Thompson, Alastair – ‘The Diebold Memos’ Smoking Gun – Volusia County Memos Disclose Election 2000 Vote Fraud’ (24.10.2003) link: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0310/S00211.htm
Today Amama Mbabazi starts walking through the desert
This day we have a special announcement that Yoweri Kaguta Musveni isn’t the only presidential candidate in the NRM or National Resistance Movement Party (Walubiri, 2015). We all know that the other parties have gone together in a Democratic Alliance that happened on the 10.06.2015. This here will not be on that, but will be hard to separate from the latest revelation.
Now a new path will JPAM or Amama Mbabazi walk on the way to preliminary election to be the main candidate in the NRM. Though we all in our hearts now the end-game as long as Yoweri Museveni walks himself on mother earth. This will not be a real election. There will be certain speeches and balloting, but the end result will be in his favor, but in the party and nationally in the General Election of 2016.
We all who has followed them know that their former weapon brothers who have kept each other close. No one would deny that. If you have followed Amama Mbabazi you know he has scruples. This will be played in this power struggle. Not only use of UPF to get rid of campaign people for the Ex-VP. We all know that. There will be because of the Public Order Management Act (POMB) and 3 day rule. Some of us know that the powers want allow them to gather. Because that makes NRM into two vicious fractions: the ones supporting Museveni and the other supporting Mbabazi. Mbabazi has had strong support in the NRM Youth leaders who has endorsed him (Katusabe, 2015). Even today on the Uganda Youth Platform they endorsed him too. Their statement on facebook was: “We as members of uganda youth platform want to fustinctively thank Hon. Amama mbabazi upon his declaratin! This is good for the struggle to dislodge the dictatorship. Bravo”. So we sure know that Amama Mbabazi has a base. It’s surfacing.
But we all know the tricks of the grand master. He will not release and loose this at any price. I am sure he will pull out all of his election mechanisms and trades. That he has stocked up. Finally he will address all the scandals of Mbabazi. The reasons why hasn’t done that yet or done anything else then clipping his wings. It is because Museveni knows that if this all goes public, he can also shame him and put dirt on him as well.
After he sent him into a special exile we have all wonder what his step would be. Would he join forces with the opposition like FDC, UPC or DP? Be friendly to Gilbert Bukenya, Mugisha Muntu, Dr. Kizza Besigye or Olara Otunnu? No, he haven’t made any significant relationship with these people? No! He is going solo in the great party of Museveni.
The former weapon brothers are sudden “enemies” and wishing the big-chair at the Parliament. But there can only be one winner. No matter what kind of alliance the opposition parties and candidates they have against the NRM candidate. They will struggle and have hardships. The EC is often rigged. Dr. Kizza Besigye knows this. All of Uganda knows this. Even if FDC has won some by-elections in the past like recent the one in Amuru by-election 20th November when Lucy Akello won the seat there. But this is small fry compared to the real deal of going against the almighty chief. The boss that has been seated in-charge since 1986. The man who took power with the gun and after promised twice to step down. First was that he was supposed to retire after the 2001. Then he changed added an amendment to the constitution on 2005. So he could be elected again in 2006. And so is the saga until this day of today. We are now running towards the General election 2016 which happens to be 15 years after his first promise of retirement. And now Mbabazi will be into the fire and get with a goat in the desert.
He might have the endorsement from certain type of voters. Even inside of the party. But he will have to fight the man who “built” him and “let him be”. Now Museveni will do everything to discredit him. Take all kind of ammunition of corruption, nepotism and other misgivings that has happen since the NRM took power.
Now will Museveni does what he can, even if Mbabazi could drop knowledge on him, because Mbabazi got a stamp okay to do it or even so, Museveni just let him do it in the past. Now that it will surface and the stink will be smelling for days. Mbabazi might even feel a bit alone at times. Because now Museveni will ask for loyalty, which means that those who are behind him will get paid, those that don’t will be shut out or shunned by the party. Just like the NRM Youth leaders who endorsed him. They lost their spot and positions. While those who stand by Museveni will prosper. That’s his system. In reality the Movement System has become a place of finding those who are loyal in the rural areas and does who will follow conformed message of the leadership without asking. They will over time get a piece for their contribution. Even if their lucky get their district shut in two so they can get more leadership funding and balance, last and least securing loyalty to the chief in the parliament in Kampala.
Therefore when you have a system built for loyalty to one man. Then a former fellow comrade, weapon-brother or friend goes against you. It will be a long road. Mbabazi will walk alone on this one. He will be burned in the desert. The sun will not leave much shade. Every piece of bad blood of his past will now crack open. I as many others know that he is a corrupt man. Museveni is a corrupt man. But you, I and the world should know that by now. And if you’re surprised by that fact then do a little research. You’ll find enough articles and examples on how corrupt this two are.
They will know fight though not in front of the public. This will be in the background and in the shadows. The dirt and dust will land in public. New Vision will come with all ammunition on the dirt of Mbabazi. They have already started today. The journey through the desert is just starting for Amama Mbabazi or JPAM. Museveni will trigger all kind of works from the NRM that we haven’t seen in ages. To take a little quote from point blank: “this will be bloody!”
Good luck on your journey through the desert. Hope it will not be like Moses and last for 30 years. Mbabazi doesn’t have that time. Might his daughter have that, but not him. Museveni will not give this up easy. This will be special and how it will play out is now coming. If Mbabazi is going to get the Erias Lukwago and Dr. Kizza Besigye treatment is not sure of. But I wouldn’t be surprised: if he will get house-arrest in the future and can’t drive out his block to a campaign in Wandegye in Kampala. Or have to postpone meetings with delegates who support him because he will break with law of POMB. Certain things will happen in due time while he is in the desert. Peace.
Video of statement from Amama Mbabazi:
Reference:
Katusabe, Ruth & Bashime, Felix – ‘Three NRM youth leaders fired over links with Mbabazi’ (30.04.2015) Link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/NRM-youth-leaders-fired-links-Mbabazi/-/688334/2702094/-/6vcl1y/-/index.html
Walubiri, Moses – ‘Amama Mbabazi to run for president’ (15.06.2015) Link: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/669767-amama-mbabazi-to-run-for-president.html























