President Kizza Besigye has been talking about TRANSITION since 2010, to be carried out in four parts:
- Overhaul the current constitution and agree on a new constitution.
- Rebuild state Institutions to serve people, not a dictator. He mentions police, UPDF, Judiciary and Parliament as institutions that need to be reformed.
- Reconciliation and Truth-telling process to deal with many wounded people across Uganda- from Acholi, Kasese, Teso, victims of state sponsored brutality etc.
- Then conduct free and fair elections to put leaders in office that will never again subjugate, hurt and humiliate citizens in their own country.
When Besigye talks, I listen. He has promoted this agenda for nearly a decade now but elites seem not to get it or even understand it.
We now all agree that the constitution was destroyed, and state institutions are currently dysfunctional. Parliament has recently been under attack from Museveni and MPs have proved that they are dealers instead of legislators; the Police is now a subject of public ridicule for recruiting, deploying, financing, sponsoring and protecting criminals.
Even if we ignored Kasese wounds or Acholi and Teso massacres, can we think that the family of former Case Clinic Accountant Francis Ekalungar, killed and burnt to ashes will ever forgive Police or her Kifeesi without reconciliation and facing those who brutally took away their loved one in their eyes and ask them why they could not take his car and spare his life?
Even if we are never ever going to have free and fair elections to allow Besigye win them, assuming you don’t want Besigye to be legitimately elected president, can’t you at least consider the first three of his proposals to put this country back on track?
Besigye has made proposals on how to reorganise this country and I have heard him loud and clear! Instead of elites wanting him to retire and go away, why can’t you at least support his proposals so that he retires to live in a country where citizens are at peace with themselves, their leaders and their institutions?
Can we push that agenda so that once it’s realised, we can then ask Besigye to retire peacefully? It’s just my plea!
Or if you think Besigye formula is not good, can someone propose what we should do to heal this country?
LET’S BE REASONABLE FOR ONCE!
Ronald Muhinda
Activist
