By Ebeneza Emmanuel
Early this year Uganda began the process of acquiring nine (9) MPs for EALA, and therefore makes it the first EAC member state to throw herself into the process. The ruling Party NRM has 6 slots leaving three(3) slots for opposition parties and independent candidates, we congratulate them for considering the acquisition of such representatives as early as they have imagined.
But the original intention for me to write about this is to actually dwell around three important things in regards to what has happened in Uganda under this ongoing EALA election process and the lessons that we can pick from it so that we conduct a decent one of our own when it is about time.
(a) Corruption, There was a squealing by many aspirants on the wide use of corruption in the parties’ primaries and especially in NRM, and such claims were not dismissed by anybody including the six aspirants who won in such primaries (Looking and sounding guilty) .President Museveni who is NRM Chairperson was embarrassed and angry at the chaos of his party’s EALA primaries and warned that continued reliance on money to win elections would in the long run create voter apathy.
(b) Young people/ Youths, I tried to take a look very well at those who won in the party primaries to see if I can see the face(s) of young people but I did not unfortunately. We all know that in all East African countries youth makes the vast majority of the population and therefore expecting them to be part of the leadership or rather decision making bodies EALA inclusive. That outlook might have been instigated by any of the following or both (i) Widespread apathy and timid among youths (ii) Corruption
(c) The Real intention behind the leadership aspirations, President Museven when addressing the electoral college he started by saying “These elections are not just elections… and they are not employment bureaus’’ Meaning that the intention behind such positions are for service and it alone, therefore people must come in the front asking to be elected for the sake of furthering and strengthening the integration process for the benefits of Uganda and all member states. So for those who bribed voters are definitely not after serving the region but themselves.
Important issues that Tanzania should pick ahead of EALA elections
As we are yet to embark on these elections which are going to take place on April, certain things must be taken into account..
(i) Political parties must do whatever it takes to ensure that nobody is going to get a winning ticket through corruption, I am aware that there must rise financially smart people and political bigwigs to run for office and they can wisely use the depth of their pockets as an avenue to grab victory. Therefore I argue parties’ decision making bodies to vigorously and fairly scrutinize the whole process keenly so that regardless of someone’s financial and social status provided that they meet required criteria he/she should be given a go ahead ticket for clean and honorable service provision for the country’s betterment at the community level.
(ii) Youths, there is no doubt that youths make up the vast majority of the population, in any way their voices must be heard from them and not being represented by another generation. We believe to be the makers of this era’s development as well as of progressive politics and economies of the future. So in the coming parties’ primaries the position of youths should be considered in good faith. I would personally like to make a clarion call to all young people to become aware of whom they are and the role they have to play for this country and the region at large, they must be devoid of apathy and create in themselves a sense of audacity as a way to unlock potentials.
(iii) Vigorous vetting to get clean and mentally viable candidates, You might be famous and think that that would be a charm for you to be nominated, you might be rich and thinks the same way and for financially weak, not famous people but who can make good leaders out of themselves might be very timid to contest. Now the parties must invest in investigation and interrogation in the process of acquiring candidates for the provided slots. By doing so we would be exercising a lively democracy, vindicating our credibility but above all attaining good leaders to move agenda that matters.
One People, One Destiny
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