Riots on the Street in Kampala

I was not sure, whether anyone has not yet heard about the “strange” behaviour of the local police forces. I guess they wanted to play around with their “toys” and thus used rubber bullet guns and tear gas wildly and in huge quantities against demonstrators whose only weapons were the placates expressing their political point of views regarding the intended changes to Uganda’s constitution and sticks and stones – if at all…. To put it mildly, it is a bit odd to use such massive force. But what shall you expect in a country, where just sentences are seldom[1] and lynch murders for pick pocketing is not uncommon and where police men do not attend psychological trainings and that kind of things.

Speaking about demonstrations in Uganda: Usually it is only a bunch of young people who run too fast, whose placates cannot be read, whose shouting cannot be understood and who would be stupid to attack the supporters of the ruling powers or/and the police forces.[2] So, I ask you: Do they pose any thread against anybody? Do the heavily protected riot police officers would have to defeat them in such an inappropriate manner?

What is a worrying sign for me is – and I almost do not dare to say that – not the violent police action. No. Actually, it is the undemocratic decision taken by the people in charge who did not permit this demonstration. This would have been a great opportunity to show the world that Uganda is developing towards a democratic society, which allows the opposition to speak out in public. However, I guess it is still a long way to go.

If I would be asked whether I am pro or against the third term, I would always answer the following (and be in line with most “official” expatriates in this country):

Whatever decision regarding the constitutional changes be made, it should be democratic and according to the rule of law and representing the free will of the Ugandan people. If the majority of Ugandans decide that the current president deserves a third term, then this shall be the case. However, if the opposite is demanded by the majority of the people then this vote must also be respected and peacefully followed.

Considering the language used by M7 supporters, I doubt, whether a transition to another president would be peaceful. And I am also not sure, whether there is any “good” alternative for M7. But that is fortunately not my business for I am not an Ugandan, who has to vote.

The following Item wasDelivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's IRIN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. (http://www.irinnews.org):

KAMPALA, 28 June (IRIN) - Police on Tuesday used tear gas and water cannons to disperse dozens of demonstrators in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, who had taken to the streets to protest against a plan to amend the constitution to remove presidential term limits.

The protestors claimed the plan was intended to allow President Yoweri Museveni to seek another five-year term in office.

They carried placards and banners denouncing the proposal by some members of parliament to remove a clause in the constitution that limits the president's tenure to two five-year terms, ahead of elections in 2006.

Under the current constitution, Museveni, who seized power in 1986 after waging a five-year guerrilla war against previous regimes, cannot run again because he would have served two terms as an elected president.

Kampala police chief Benson Oyo Nyeko said the organisers had defied a police order not to stage the demonstration.

"They wrote to us yesterday [Monday] asking for permission to hold a demonstration," Nyeko added. "The permission was not granted but they insisted on going ahead, so we had to stop them as they marched towards parliament," he said.

The police had cordoned off the Constitutional Square in the city centre from where the organisers of the demonstration planned to start a procession on Tuesday, the day parliament was expected to end its debate on the amendment.

The organisers, however, convened in another part of the city before beginning their march towards parliament.

"Several of our youth have been arrested and I am now going to the police to plead for their immediate release," Olivia Kamya, an official of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change party, said.

"We shall not stop," Kamya added. "We shall either die, be beaten up and maimed or we shall be free."

One placard read: "Uganda is destined for doom if Museveni is to be allowed to stand again."

MPs opposed to the constitutional amendment are outnumbered in the 300-member parliament, but they have dominated debate.

"You are going to open doors for the military option of getting to State House," Odonga Otto, an opposition MP, warned during the debate.

Local government minister Tarsis Kabwegyere said, however, that there was no reason to worry as democracy had been entrenched in Ugandan politics.

"Under this government, we have entrenched democracy, weakening the routes of dictatorship," he said.

Museveni has not openly declared his intention to run for a third term. However, several senior government officials - believed to be closely allied to the president - are leading the controversial parliamentary campaign to lift the limit on presidential terms.

[ENDS]

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2005

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[1] By the way: I recently read about a case in the U.S. where a man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for stealing a TV set from a white man. The thief is black and the crime took place in the sixties. So, we should also never forget where we come from and how long it took “us” to reach the current level democracy.

[2] Actually, I suggest some proper demonstration training in Europe. If they want to get the full scope experience of how to demonstrate peacefully and violently, I propose a trip to Berlin^st. This would be a life-time experience which would cover every aspect of demonstrating. I suggest the same for the police forces because at the same time, I also think that the police forces in Berlin are one of the most experienced in Germany. They underwent a tremendous transition form a police force similar to the one in Uganda as of today to a psychologically trained and well behaved – that is my personal opinion.