----- Original Message ----- 
From: The Fugee 
To: [log in to unmask] 
Cc: UPCnet ; Mulindwa Edward ; 'emmanuel musaazi' 
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2003 10:06 AM
Subject: UPC and the one- Party State


Musaazi,

 

You are obviously relatively new on Ugandanet and therefore may not know that much of what you are trying to portray has been discussed on Ugandanet at some length. I will time allowing go through my archives and repost any relevant material. I have sent this posting directly to you and Edward Mulindwa because for some strange reason my postings to Ugandanet take unduly long to get to the net.

 

First and foremost, Mulindwa is not a member of UPC as he has repeatedly said so but to no avail. His referring you to a UPC forum is therefore correct as he cannot speak on behalf of a Party to which he is not even a member. Your problem seems to be that if Mulindwa has anything positive to say about the UPC and its leader Obote, then he must be a member is erroneous.

 

Second, you have continued to repeatedly allege that Obote and the UPC instituted the one-Party State and seem to use this as an apparently justification for the NRM one-Party state. Please show us the Constitutional Article that brought this into being. The fact of the matter is that the 1962, 1966 and 1967 Constitutions were based on the multiparty parliamentary elections model and I challenge you to show otherwise. For Kenya to revert to the multiparty model of elections I think it was Article 2(a) of the Constitution which had to be repealed, whereas in Zambia it was Article 4(c). Which Article in any of the above mentioned Constitutions made Uganda a one-Party State?

 

The UPC has a clearly laid down procedure for electing its leader and if you honestly examine the restrictions in Article 269 of the 1995 Constitution, there is no way that the UPC can legitimately elect another leader. Anything done outside the Constitution of the UPC is as good as you, Musaazi appointing Edward Mulindwa the spokesman of the UPC whereby you have neither the authority to do so and no member of the UPC will take the appointment seriously. The UPC is not like to Movement where the leader has to see someone whom he thinks has the vision and capability and appoints that person to the position of President. The UPC President is elected by a body which itself is constituted through elections and that body is the Delegates Conference.

 

The UPC's Delegates Conference is the only body authorised to appoint a UPC President which itself is constituted as a result of Branch elections, followed by Constituency elections and District elections so please tell how this can be legitimately done in light of the restrictions in Article 269 which are that "political activities may continue except": -

 

(a)              opening and operating branch offices;

 

(b)             holding delegates' conferences;

 

(c)              holding public rallies;

 

(d)             sponsoring or offering a platform to or in anyway campaigning for or against a candidate for any public elections;

 

(e)              carrying on any activities that may interfere with the movement political system for the time being in force."

 

The Political Parties and Organisations Act 2002 which is being challenged in Court has these very same restrictions while Movement leaders are mockingly saying that the Parties should register so that they can engage in politics!

 

The Fugee

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