Monday, February 21, 2022

MADNESS: DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER

The podcast

This week parliament entertained a motion to have MP Francis Zaake lose his position on the parliamentary commission for alleged abuse of deputy Speaker Anita Among.

In a tweet Zaake suggested the deputy speaker was dishonest and reckless in her comments about him, which he thought were idiotic.

The background to the story is that last year MP Zaake had claimed torture by state agents, there were pictures of him looking far gone in hospital.  Later in the year he went on to win a sprint competition during regional inter parliamentary games in Arusha, Tanzania. The Deputy speaker in one of her comments noted the recovery of MP Zaake given this evidence, comments which MP Zaake took exception to.

A motion was moved by MP Martin Mapenduzi to have him ejected from the parliamentary commission, which serves as the administrative arm of parliament.

But another backstory is that opposition MPs are boycotting house seatings in protest over the increasing reports of torture of people with divergent views from government. That move was triggered by the release of novelist Rukirabasaija Kakwenza a few weeks ago who claimed he had been tortured in detention and had the scars to show for it.

This means that depending on the speed of the house in deciding the matter, MP Zaake’s fate may very well be decided by NRM MPs who more than constitute the quorum to carry the motion, if they so decide.

This is playing simultaneously with opposition MPs trying to censure security minister Jim Muhwezi to take responsibility for the torture being meted out by security agents. NRM whip Thomas Tayebwa has ensured the ruling party MPs have closed ranks behind the Major General and we can expect that motion will come up empty.

"One of the things we badly need is a credible opposition, which can hold government to account. This should go beyond heckling the government in public, to actually having a sword over government’s head to ensure they behave....

This column has long argued that the seduction of running for the presidency has ensured the opposition cannot muster serious enough numbers in parliament to play their effective role.

But it is easy to see why. 

It is too much work to try and grow grassroot support than it is to organize a once every five years run for the presidency. Not to mention a run for the presidency is sexier and more lucrative than the rolling in the mud needed to build and sustain local political support.

The opposition will continue to take this class as long as they don’t learn the lesson.

The opposition argue that they are hampered at every turn in building grassroot support. That should not come as a surprise. In the world history there is no group in power that relinquishes its hold without a fight.

"You cannot shame power into good behavior. In order to force concessions from power you need to build a formidable counterforce and force power to the negotiating table....

The kings of Europe in some instances had to have their heads loped off in order for them to make concessions to the unwashed masses. Even today in better developed democracies the contests for office can be intense, the difference being that over long years of practice certain power grabs, like coups, are not an option. But nevertheless those in power will do anything within the limits of the law to cling to power, while those on the outside will do anything to get in.

There are no shortcuts. Our opposition have to put building local support ahead of winning the presidency if they are to be more relevant to the evolution of democracy in this country.

As it stands now the ruling NRM has 336 of the 529 seats in the house or just short of the two thirds majority needed to push any law through. However, the independents many of whom are sympathetic to the movement are 74.

And over the years while the opposition, which has 109 seats in the house have seen their numbers rising, the percentages still are in the NRM’s favour.

"If they are really serious about at the bare minimum, influencing the politics of this country and at best wrestling power from the NRM they have to boost their numbers in parliament....

It will be a hard slog but if the evidence before our eyes is anything to go by – their ineffectiveness in the house, somebody has to come this realization and commit to pay the price.

Parliamentary walkouts and confronting the security forces on the street may make is just grandstanding and achieves nothing of any substance.

But our opposition are intelligent people and they must know all this, so what are they playing at?

 

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