Opinion: Tired of certain types of Politicians who are snake-oil salesmen with their political speeches and writings!

“Every time I hear a political speech or I read those of our leaders, I am horrified at having, for years, heard nothing which sounded human. It is always the same words telling the same lies. And the fact that men accept this, that the people’s anger has not destroyed these hollow clowns, strikes me as proof that men attribute no importance to the way they are governed; that they gamble – yes, gamble – with a whole part of their life and their so called ‘vital interests.”

― Albert Camus

It already decades since Albert Camus graced this blue earth with more water than soil, still his words could be used today and his wisdom is still able to question our leaders of today. The resembling manner and tone, the bristling and blatant words that is still has the sharpness of a blade and cut into the bone.

Why? Why can it cut because the manners of politicians decades ago, seemingly is the same today. As the lies and deceit hasn’t left the politics. Neither has the foul play to gain power instead of serving the public. In general theory the Local Council Members, State Representatives, Governors, Senators, Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Executives are supposed to honour their pledges and be accountable to their caucus, constituency or district. Instead they are more loyal to their own careers than serving their voters. So often feels like a broken bridge between the public, the voters and the representative.

The bridge as they only appear right before the die is cast, sorry, the voters has to cast their ballot or polls as their job is on the line; their legitimacy and their relations has to be kept in upkeep as the liability towards the public sphere is important to promise and pledge to fix housing, roads, hospitals, civic education and save the kids. If not they will save the nation or district from biblical disasters, terrorists and unknown dangers.

We have all heard it and know the clichés and the artificial blend of phrases in a rhetorical manner, especially in a coded manner that could fence the xenophobia, the fear and the destructive tone. Some uses the coded language not to promise or really say that they will build the bridge or fix the schools; more that they see the effort and will stay strong together with the politician and his ruling regime.

Still, we accept this for the faith that the fake and lively attitude to collect the votes from us. The reality is that the lies and fakes to satisfy the play of guards and the sovereign measures of needed institutions to control and have oversight of the state. We should still ask questions to the needed for the lies in speeches and care as the politicians rather spend their time with family, than cutting bonds on roads in the province of nowhere with a local mayor who hate the guts of the Infrastructure Minister who feels betrayed by the locals as they wouldn’t vote for his party if their lives dependent on it.

The seasoned man, who has been in rain have made you wet, who has been in the sun has gotten burned. The measures men does to secure itself with umbrellas and jacket to keep each other dry, the same with sun-cream and others to keep the skin-away from the burning sun. Therefore the men who does so should also be able to pick away the men and woman who lies for their trade.

The quack-sellers and the snake-oil salesmen are in the trades of the Politics. Therefore some politicians earn coinage on their pivoting, their change of heart and their tricks to always stay in the good graces. But this is the not the men of solitude or the men of honour or trustworthy. You never know what they really stand for or what their ethical background as their choices are more a popularity contest of American Idol or Big Brother than of politics.

That is the reason why men like Nigel Farage, Donald J. Trump or other rascals with very little soul for their initial policies or political framework can get space in the political landscape as our tabloid headline dramatics can give space and airtime on radio and TV for their message. The message creates high ratings and secures advertisement monies to the Media Houses who couldn’t care less about the outcome of an election as they are there for profits; not for the common-good or service delivery of the politicians.

So we are at the time of day where the words of Albert Camus are righteous as the politicians are not telling about secret meetings, keeping the main objectives between the government funding, the multi-national companies and the trade-agreements; also with the bilateral agreements between nations and international organizations that are happening between the closed doors and is why the dossiers through whistle-blower’s are hurting the campaigns and the national security. But most likely also destroying the façade the politicians create and their level of PR expertise and also beholden to the laws they are supposed to keep.

The mentality of this together with the double-edged swords of public perception can cross through the flesh and destroys careers of an ordinary politician as the sexual adventures of Dominic Strauss-Kahn (DSK), but a few blunders haven’t stopped the Republican Nominee Trump. But at these times the lies and fakery seems to let him win over the American nation, instead of them repelling from his words.

So the political speech should be coded and with current words that express the views and place in the political landscape. Still, today there are more worrying signs of the way it is portrayed and accepted as the men behind the words are not stopped or feasible destroy the character not give the politician the space on the mainstream media.

This should be a worrying and not be a place our modern society should be in, where we let stone-age rhetoric and hatred towards fellow humans beings get away with their malicious attempts of gripping power by the teleprompter and by the social media machine of the political parties and the PR experts supporting the Politicians. Therefore the Citizens Kane of the world usually gets discredited on their way to public office, but now it is free-for-all.

Just like Citizen Kane as Charles Foster Kane in his final speech in his campaign for becoming Governor of New York:

“It is no secret that I entered upon this campaign with no thought. That I could be elected Governor of this state!  It is now no secret that every straw vote, every independent pole, shows that I will be elected. And I repeat to you – my first official act as Governor will be to appoint a special District Attorney to arrange for the indictment, prosecution and conviction of Boss Edward G. Rogers!” (Citizen Kane, 1941).

Other Politicians of these days are convicting fellow politicians without trials as a political gain and earn coinage on their bad moral. This is their moral and bad judgement that deserves to be punished with conviction and getting on trial through going courtside for their acts and activity. So with this in mind, the lying political speeches and does it with vital interest of the public sphere.

Main question after this triad from me; why should we accept his behaviour and accept these men leading us without any real discredit or any real consequence for the politician? This is what the society gets together with the public who is eating the bullshit from the politicians. But, that isn’t it, right? Peace.  

FDC Campaign Trail Update – 25.12.15 still in Yumbe

Dear friends,

We have decided to postpone Yumbe program tomorrow, we will spend the day in Moyo and share the joy that Christmas brings with the good people here, among the activities we are doing is attending church, visiting friends and getting to know more people here. Enjoy your Christmas and the blessings brings

Merry Christmas.#Wesige Besigye

Message from Dr. Kizza Besigye yesterday:

Dear friends,

As we join together to celebrate this special season of goodwill, let our thoughts reach out to those at home and abroad who may be facing difficult times this Christmas.

Let us hope for peace and harmony for next year and beyond.

I wish everyone a happy Christmas and a prosperous new year that can deliver all your promises. Next year is a year of alot of expectations and dreams.

For God and my country.

 

The People’s President meets Kahinda Otafiire while campaigning

Minister of Justice Kahinda Otafiire could not miss out. He joined our rally! He waved to both Besigye and our supporters! Give him some V signs in appreciation. Times have changed! #WesigeBesigye‬

A powerful moment and also real gentlemanship of them both! Peace!

Dr. Kizza Besigye: Hon. Jimmy Akena will have betrayed his father (Youtube-Clip)

The surge of deflections between the political parties in Uganda and how to live with it

This is the round-up to the General Elections in 2016 in Uganda. Where we will see deflections like never before. There will be run from people going from wherever to Go-Forward and people leaving the parties after missing their spots to become Independent candidates in the polls.

Deflections are norm and allowed, but there are something about timing and explaining it. Like if you’re been somewhere for long and is tarnished by the way the party leads, then it feels natural to leave. Which many of the big-men has done in Uganda for that reason we have FDC. They are an reaction to the ruling party NRM. UPC has had people leaving to NRM in the Past, like Hon. Amama Mbabazi was at certain time a piece of that puzzle. Dr. Kizza Besigye was a piece of NRM until the fallout. Hon. Amama Mbabazi went finally away; when he got kicked out and Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda his childhood friend took his place as the PM in Uganda.

There many NRM losers all over the country who is deflecting to the Go-Forward Group and Amama Mbabazi. This proves that there is slot open for sore people and a reach for surge that hasn’t happen. Because for many NRM people Dr. Kizza Besigye and Gen. Mugisha Muntu haven’t had the power and spirit of the NRM party, that means that Amama Mbabazi has that or else he is promising to feed them. There is not easy to know what is what. Even FDC members and kind of high ranking members like Mathias Mpuunga the Walk to Work head honcho gone over to Go-Forward.

The validation from JEEMA, DP, CP, UFA and PPP gives an edge to Go-Forward. But their powerbases is small and has been small. Even if all arguments are that Dr. Kizza Besigye has lost the last times against the ghost of all elections Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and National Resistance Movement. The President has won everything since gripping power with the civil war to tore down UPC and Okello’s and all the other former short term presidents. Museveni has secured first a few elections as sole party and as a sole candidate. Sole Candidacy is his wish. I am sure that if he could run as he please then this election in 2016 it wouldn’t be any FDC, TDA and him!

Go-Forward and the allegiance that is with him, gives him an edge. That is even though FDC has the long standing force of the opposition in the country. So here we are, people are crying foul. I have cried foul over Gilbert Bukenya, but that is because was a hot-minute on the outside of the Movement throwing shades at the President and calling him a problem. And seconds later when he offers a position in the NRM CEC he crawls back.  The president might not offer him a place in the NRM CEC, but I am sure NRM has promised a nice position to Alhaji Nasser Ntege Ssebagala for his allegiance.

But there aren’t just the big men who switch allegiance; it’s also on the grassroots-level where members are burning their membership card and switching alliance to another party. That should be worrying for NRM to see that on the Social Media and how their cards are blatantly being discarded like worthless mud.

Though I am sure the result of the election is already picked by the Electoral Commission and the lack of electoral reform to gain population support and not support by the NRM-Regime, it will surely be set for yet another term for Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Even if this is surely the end-game we can still see that the movement of people is changing. The sadness is to see that the movement between opposition parties making sour feelings between them; especially with the Second Round K.O. and stop of the consultation between the FDC and Go-Forward. I expected it to fall to pieces by how it ran into sand after the smaller parties of the TDA endorsing Amama Mbabazi over Dr. Kizza Besigye.

The Movement and Museveni will do whatever to destabilize the other parties, rule and conquer. Therefore he had to say at the NRM CEC at Kololo Independence Ground that nobody in the party shouldn’t say that somebody is “Pro-Mbabazi” or “Pro-FDC” because the party is the ones that matters.

That the NRM-Youtb Brigade/League leaders of   Omodo-Omodo and Adam Ruzindana has officially not endorsed should be sad view for the NRM since they even had been rounded up in August to change their stance from this to support Mzee. Seems like it didn’t work even after being under siege by the NRM-Regime! 

There are different ways and easy jumping ships so often between parties proves that it can buy and it isn’t ideological reasons between it. That is what Go-Forward camp should ask them since they get deflectors from all over the map in short space of time. Will it be a sand-castle that the wave from the sea will brush away or can it be sustained?

FDC has a situation and is used to be in the war-zone through the elections and being in trouble with police for trying to be a political party. The Go-Forward is doing everything for the first time, though Hon. Amama Mbabazi has been in election, but then in friendly territory in those times under the wings of the Mzee.

The deflections is a natural thing, especially the ones who has lost their Flag-Bearer positions in the NRM is surely natural to try to get other ways into the Parliament and Constituencies again, though their stripes should be wacked because their couldn’t handle to lose for somebody else, even if the primaries we’re filled with malfunctions, pre-ticket ballots and general rigging.

The FDC can that has decided to move on; can have done that for ideological reasons. If so then it’s should be seen as okay. Secondly if it is a tactical move instead of ideological move; then we have more to question the person that goes from a set off fixed situations with a party actually functioning, though there was some Electoral malfunctions some of their internal election.

Some facts from the CCEDU

“In advancing this objective, CCEDU sought accreditation and deployed a technical team of eight to observe the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Elections held at a Special Delegates’ Conference on 12th June 2015 at the UMA main exhibition Hall, Lugogo, Kampala” (…)”Claims of vote buying were received by the observers. Allegedly, some camps were sending delegates mobile money in a bid to secure their votes. These claims were not verified. A pledge by one of the candidates vying for the position of Secretary General to supply smart phones to districts secretaries general and another candidate for the post of Treasury General to contribute Shs10m to a party Savings and Credit Society were interpreted by some as an effort to induce support” (…)”It was noted that delegates did not heed the call by the Electoral Commission that no campaigns should take place during polling time. Unfortunately, there were no measures to curb this vice” (CCEDU, 2015).

So the surety that the ones leaving from the other parties like FDC/DP/UPC/PPP/UFA or Independents to the NRM has to promised something because they know what they have done and how they have done it to get it.

Independents can do as they please and show allegiance or alliances as they please. Nothing can be taken for granted by any parties they can be bought or ordered, even if they want to be by-partisan. That is justified, though it is a favour to them all if they know where they have them. Independents can either fill their pockets or actually stand for something. So if their flag their place and who honours who. Because they can became pawns on the chess set and easy capped if they don’t take a stand.

Though we will see more movement and deflections we can see the difference between ideology and tactical movement from the politicians. There will be some sour feelings and hurt. There will be some sees it as betrayal. The betrayal is when it so not justified by their recent actions and sudden move to do it for self-serving instead loyalty to party. Independents can move as they please, but the ones moving from any other parties can be questioned, even if it reasonable. Prof. Gilbert Bukenya kissed the ring of President Museveni. That is the truth!

Deflections from the parties will happen. From the FDC and NRM, from all the other parties as well for different reasons and if UPC will be split in two it wouldn’t  surprise anybody with the different of opinion between Jimmy Akena and Olara Otunnu. That could easily be two separate organizations. And leave to more deflections. Especially if they continue as today to address themselves as presidents of the UPC! There will be deflections from there as well.

Deflections from the parties occur neither you like it or not, because that is part of the political game and life. There will be more leaving any party into the General Election and move for possible gain. The men and woman who does that has to address themselves and argue for their move. As the men and woman who is left behind has to respect it, depending on the motive of it all. Even if the motive is only a place in their party-organizational structure or get a free place in higher organ; instead of doing the work as politician to gain the constituencies trust.

What do you think? Peace.  

Reference:

CCEDU – ‘FDC Party Elections – Observation Reports’ (17.07.2015)

The Proposed changes and added amendments on the Election laws that can be seen as preparation for the Election in 2016 in Uganda.

On the 25^th September 2015 three amendments will be read for the parliament. These Amendments are the President Elections Amendment Bill of 2015, Parliamentary Elections Amendment Bill of 2015 and the Electoral Commission Amendment Bill of 2015. They are all interconnected and will be a part of the preparations to the election that is happening in 2016.  All the Amendments comes from the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Hon. Fredrick Ruhindi

The Main parts of the Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill of 2015:

Parts of the bill with revise the requirement for a candidate to campaign in every district in Uganda and to stop the polling stations at 4:00PM on the polling day. Another main part of the bill is that nominations fee for the candidate will go from Shs. 8Million/= to the the new fee of Shs. 20Million/=.

The first issue with the candidate is that with the surge of districts make it difficult for a candidate to be in all the new districts before the polling day while campaigning. The second one is for fitting the economic environment that is different than in 2005.  The third issue is that the polling time is set from 5:00PM to 4:00PM to give the Electoral Commission more time to count the votes.

And a new amendment to proof the voter’s identity:

“a fourth table located at least ten meters from the ballot boxes where every voter, after deposing the ballot paper into the ballot box, shall proceed and the thumb or other finger on the voter’s right hand determined by the commission marked with or applied with inedible ink as one indicators that the voter has cast the ballot”.

The Main parts of the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill of 2015:

First part of the bill is to get four representatives of persons with disabilities to be elected by Electoral Colleges Constituted in accordance to the four traditional districts: Central, Eastern, Northern and Western regions. The second part of the bill is on the nomination fee for the candidate will go from Shs. 200k/= to new fee of Shs. 1Million/=.

The Main parts of the Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill of 2015:

First part of new amendment is: “The commission shall, not later then two weeks before polling day, transmit to every political party and organization and independent candidate taking part in the election, an electronic text based copy of each voters’ register which the commission shall use on polling day”.

Second part is that the Commission has to employ one a District Election Administrator and an Assistant Election Administration. The District Election Administrator has the supervision, is in charge and custody of the voters’ in the district, and also seeing through the manner of the voters registers. Important character that the Administrator need is integrity, high moral and also “a person taken to have behaved in a corrupt manner in relation to his or her duties if he or she commits any act of dishonesty in connection with his or her duties, whether or not it constitutes a criminal offence”.

Third part is: “the Commission shall, before the display of the copy of the voters’ roll publish in the Gazette and in the print media, a list of all the places at which a voters’ roll is required to be displayed under this section”.

Aftermath:

The Presidential Candidate first gets more expensive to pay the nominee fee as a candidate it goes up Shs. 12Million from the 2005 to the total of Shs. 20Million and was at 2005 set to be Shs. 8Million. Everybody understands that’s a viable and big fee change and the argument is for the economic climate that has changed since 2005. If the value of the shilling has devalued that much in about ten year period that the candidate must pay over double of the fee, then the economic system has server issues.

The Second change is the time that is set from 5:00PM to 4:00PM on the polling station at the Election Day to give more time for counting. I am sure that this will be more of a statuary fix. The counting will have enormous ability to be manipulated after the votes are cast. The time set or fixed times is just an small tweak.

The third change in the Election laws are the thumb print that each voter has to get before casting the ballot. This will be sign of ink on the thumb proving that the voter has cast his or hers ballot. It’s a nice fix especially thinking about how the reports was a last election that people and military personal was bussed between voting stations to vote multiple times. With the ink on the finger it should be harder to dupe this one and the officials should easily see the print of ink on the thumb if a person tries to vote twice.

Fourth change is that a nomination fee for representatives for the disability goes up to Shs. 1Millon. There will also be four representatives one each representative from traditional districts: Central, Western, Northern and Eastern. This is in general a nice gesture to the community with applying that the Parliament gets people with special needs to the Parliament from now on.

Fifth change is that each political parties and independent should at least receive the voters register before two weeks before the polling day.  This is good thing to give them time to see the registers and check it. Might even give feedback to the Electoral Commission on shortfalls for the registration of voters in districts and municipalities that is necessary, though two weeks are little, if the registers are big who would have the capacity to oversee and scrutinize the register?

Sixth change is the additional new staff each district need. The new staff by the law is now District Election Administrator and Assistant Election Administrator who will look over the Polling and Election in the District. The person who will be hired has to have a moral compass, integrity and not act in a corrupt manner. All of the ones that are put into law are not exceptional this is what they should be as members of society and also professional people delivering and serving their nation and government so that the citizens can be sure of a valid result. A result and poll that is efficient and following procedure so that the tally can be justified and also being correct. Because if the Election Administrator doing their job and picking the right people, not letting the Electoral Commission having ability to trick the numbers or anybody else. Then the ballots and elections would be less rigged and actual have trustworthy people doing their jobs. If not, this is just a nice on paper and we still see the same issues in the Districts and clear the ballots for a free and fair election in 2016.

Seventh change is the publication in the Gazette or in print media. Where the Voters roll will be published, that is just a good thing. And proving to the public that the results getting official and can be explained. That should have already been there and is basic of official and public order, with this the Electoral Commission proves that it does it actual job in the election.

This all should be seen as interesting and see if this get voted in. If this gets official law it will have some effect on certain aspects on the coming election and the later by-elections as well. Since the signs of the public and local display will be visual with the thumb print and the District Electoral Administrator getting a vital role in procedures of the polling. Also the establishment of higher nomination fees for Presidential Candidates and also Special Disability representative which is total 4 representative one from each traditional regions. That is a great sign of all of the laws.

I don’t want to write for the third time what the laws says, but the issue is that it’s really patchwork and also quick fixes. If they will play big in the election is time to tell. And see if the next Commonwealth Report of 2016 will be as harsh as it was on Presidential Election in 2011. Peace.