Having won the first round in what is widely being called his bid to become a presidential monarch, Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni, is coming under increasing international and domestic pressure, with round two only a week away.
Uganda’s Parliament voted last month to lift the term barrier placed on the president. This means that Museveni — although he has not indicated that he will run for a third term — is not obliged to vacate office when his tenure ends next year.
Next week Ugandans will vote on whether to scrap the movement system and restore multiparty democracy. The exiled opposition has rejected this exercise as a sham designed to further entrench Museveni’s power.
The Forum for Democratic Change alleges violence and intimidation against its members by pro-
government militia. The Uganda Joint Christian Council has described Parliament’s decision to lift the term limit as a big gamble.
In April Britain, which provides half of Uganda’s development aid, cut $10-million off its allocation, saying Museveni had not made satisfactory progress towards multiparty democracy. And this week Norway expressed its displeasure at Constitution tampering, human-rights violations and rising corruption by cutting a third of its aid.
Outgoing United States ambassador, Jimmy Kolker, told a Ugandan radio talk show: ”In procurement, privatisation decisions, the national interest is sometimes sacrificed to personal, partisan interests … This is not a dictatorship; it’s not a country in which people do not have access to ways of expressing their views. They do have access to those but at the same time, the warning light is flashing.” Asked about violence and electoral malpractices, he said: ”I am worried.”
Tanzania is increasingly apprehensive that Museveni’s moves could jeopardise harmony in the East African Community and make the attainment of a political federation a pipe dream.
Last week, Tanzania’s Parliament was asked to reconsider its position on the community if it means partnering with Uganda.