Rating Uganda Political Parties

I have no affiliation to any political parties, but a political party personality that I most admire now in Uganda is FDC’s Dr. Besigye. Why? I believe that Courage, Truth and Execution are the bases for any successful person, organization or country—the rest are but details.

So, let us rate the major political parties based on the three tenets (or as Mr. Museveni might call “cooking stones”) of Courage, Truth and Execution.

FDC
Courage: Dr. Besigye could have pigged on the NRM kill but, in spite of all the odds decked against him, he chose to break away from the stinking NRM Yellow Bus. He was haunted into exile and was jailed on return with all kinds of calumny thrown at him. He is carrying on with rare (in Uganda politics) courage and tenacity to guide his party to victory comes 2011. Two Stars

Truth: Dr. Besigye, in his famous piece to the newspapers, exposed the rot in the NRM organization headed by a power-hungry fiend. When the party talks of democratic change, I am convinced it means it. Many of the former NRM members are men and women of strong convictions who could be comfortably pigging it with NRM. Two Stars

Execution: So far FDC has done fairly well. It is the leading opposition party in parliament. It has fought and won hard battles. There is still a lot that need to be done in organization and taking on the NRM machine. One Star

DP
Courage: The old courage that was exhibited by Northern DP parliamentarians of the 60s exists only in one or two characters. DP needs to show something spectacular to win the imagination of Ugandans. One Star

Truth: I believe DP is sincere when it says it is a party for Truth. This might be a legacy of its Catholic-leaning origin. But Truth without Courage is like Faith without Works—it is dead, according to Apostle James. Two Stars

Execution: Here is why DP has been a third-rate party. It was out-maneuvered by the Mengo cabal, with the collusion of UPC, in 1962 and could not field any candidate in Buganda thereby setting the stage for what was to befall Uganda. That was the time to raise hell instead of now crying as victims. In 1980 DP again cried: We was robbed! In 1996 Ssemogerere was tactically and successfully tied to the hated Obote and Luwero skulls. And what can DP say about the Kyadondo North by-election: We was robbed, again! ½ Star

NRM
Courage: What is going to the bush to wage war against the government if not a profile in courage? And luck favors the courageous. I have heard people beating themselves about: if we had only done this or that—or blaming the so-called illiterate Acoli generals for handing Museveni victory on the jaws of defeat. I take a different tack—Obote was already cooked—the dice was cast and there was nothing he could do about it unless he conjured up a different mindset early on—a mindset that was not difficult to achieve to have stopped Museveni on his tracks.
We may not like it, but Museveni has single-handedly lorded over the NRM and the country for twenty plus years—that is courage. Sadly, however, as a party it is full of eunuchs with no spines. 2½ Stars

Truth: What do you think of somebody who is always calling everybody a liar but him?—A liar. Museveni lied to the young idealists who joined him in the bush about the nature of the struggle—restoration of democracy. Now everything has been turned over on its head. The whole struggle was about his large ego self. The young people were his minions working for him. Blood was spilt for him. He is the alpha and the omega. 2001 poll was supposed to be his last time for the country’s presidency. We all know what transpired, and he still wants more come 2011. All manners of untruth have been massaged in his favor. ½ Star

Execution: In terms of brutality and terror on the population the Luwero war was for the books. While shoving it to the majority of the population Museveni has managed with astute guile to align him self with the powerful western countries—that is also for the books. His country’s candidacy for the Miltonian shock doctrine of disaster capitalism was also well executed. Now laissez faire’ rules, and there is a lot of money to be made even while the majority eats grass.
However, Museveni’s penchant for control spoils it all as basic infrastructures go to the dogs. Put simply: the man cannot run a government. 1 Star

UPC
Courage: UPC lieutenants have not exhibited known courage to stand up to the orthodoxy of the top dog. Some did when the party was out of power and it fell apart like a house of cards. If he lost in 1980, Obote did not have the courage, for the sake of the nation, to admit but cheat. ½ Star

Truth: Even today UPC diehards are stingy with the truths. Let them come clear about the 1980 elections. The truth will set the red party free. ½ Star

Execution: The first four years of Obote I was well executed until UPC’s first internal and KY challenges. It showed that Obote was not a negotiator of the give and take variety. It was either his way or the high road, and the country paid for it. He could not hold his forces together against the then terrorist Museveni. Oh! How times change! ½ Star

Summary:
FDC *****
DP***½
NRM****
UPC*½