We are into another five-year election cycle, a ritual that flatters to deceive. Presidential nominations took place earlier this week, signalling the onset of campaign rallies and other public displays of theatrics and orgies, including brutal actions of security forces.
Uganda’s presidential elections have become utterly meaningless, worse, a sore on the conscience of the nation. They are not just a hugely costly venture; they are vastly dangerous to the citizens, as they hurt people’s lives and also livelihoods.
With every cycle, there is excitement and expectation that ultimately ends in pain and scars, both physical and emotional, particularly for those Ugandans keen to seek change to the nation’s most important job – the presidency. It will have to be something quite unexpected and decidedly dramatic to upend the extant situation for change to come to fruition. It will not be elections conducted by Justice Simon Byabakama’s Electoral Commission (EC). This is not mere cynicism; it is recognition of reality as it is.
In that sense, Norbert Mao’s otherwise treasonous remarks about a transition that will not come through elections are sadly worth taking seriously, even if Mr Mao himself is unlikely to be a key player, in the scheme of things, warts and all. The ruler at the top does not believe in electoral competition, at least not the type where opponents can seek the people’s vote in an open, free, and fair process.
Mr Museveni has always looked at political opposition as criminality. At best, he tends to see his opponents as irritants who are causing him unwarranted inconvenience. But he is compelled to allow the electoral processes to take place, albeit under controlled conditions.
Ideally, he would rather there be no elections, but it is elections he points to as the source of legitimacy and justification for his continued stay in power – the people ‘overwhelmingly vote him’, as he is wont to say.
The incumbent ruler has zero belief in free and fair political competition, which ideally should entail allowing opponents to freely challenge him and the readiness to accept defeat. Thus, nearly all agencies and institutions of the State and government, directly or in some way under his control, from the EC to the police and military, are implicated in electoral malpractices that render the entire process futile and fraudulent.
We do not have a credible voters’ roll. Campaign rules and polling-day limitations do not apply to all candidates equally and fairly. Media access is skewed, especially for the public broadcaster and newspaper, who are big actors in the industry.
There is no truly independent civic sphere with organisations and actors to independently influence electoral outcomes. And much more. It is across the board. But we remain under the illusion that a presidential election is happening in January next year and people are already talking about the likely voter turnout and the performance of different candidates. There will be vain attempts at opinion-polling, a totally useless exercise in the kind of sociopolitical environment in Uganda today.
What is more, soon the frenzy of crowd sizes and fantasies about who is commanding large followings of the masses will consume our imaginations and popular chattering as if we haven’t seen such movies countless times in the past. Worse, ‘experts’ will quote official election results!
The inherently flawed presidential election aside, there is a case to make about the value of parliamentary and local government elections. Well, yes, but only on paper.
In practice, whether Opposition candidates or certain credible and competent individuals get elected to Parliament and into local government offices is, in the final analysis, of little substance if the top echelon of power remains hostage to an autocrat.
The current Parliament is arguably instructive, fully under capture to ensure it does what the master wants, meaning there is no pretence to asserting the independence of an otherwise co-branch of government, let alone purport to push for checks and balances on the Executive branch.
Thus, the scramble for elective positions at whatever level is, at best, about securing a job and granting elites access to perks; at worst, ultimately and invariably, it all feeds into maintaining the status quo and perpetuating a life-presidency.
In essence, while elections are meant to serve as a tool for deepening democratic governance by giving citizens their due voice, today’s system in Uganda is one where elections are an instrument for subverting democracy and entrenching autocracy.
It has become somewhat ad nauseam to say this, but it merits reiterating that only a carefully crafted and concerted conversation, a genuine national dialogue to rewrite the rules and reimagine a new Uganda, will get us out of the current deep hole.
Moses khisa
moses.khisa@gmail.com
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