Museveni’s friends: Guest list for the swearing-in

KAMPALA

US President Barack Obama is among the world leaders invited for President Museveni’s fifth swearing-in for another five-year term, tomorrow, the fifth elective one since he took power 30 years ago.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Obama, whose second term in office expires in January next year, was invited along with 50 other head of state. The invitation list, also prominently included UK Prime Minister David Cameron but mostly African Union (AU) head of states.

The incumbent was declared winner of the February 18 elections with 60.7 percent, giving him yet another term running until 2021. His closest rival, Forum for Democratic Change party flag bearer Dr Kizza Besigye, who came second with 35 per cent has since rejected the results as a “sham.”

The elections, though largely peaceful, international election observers from the European Union and Commonwealth noted with concern a number of shortcomings that marred the exercise, notably the conduct of police/security apparatuses.

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-eom) which said the voter enthusiasm for democratic process was eclipsed by an atmosphere of intimidation, even further concluded that the national electoral body lacks the requisite independence and transparency which explains why “it does not have the trust of the stakeholders.”

The Commonwealth election observation mission led by former Nigerian leader, Gen Olusegun Obasanjo, indicated that the polls were marred by a lack of a level playing field, an increased prevalence of money in politics, alleged misuse of state resources, inequitable media coverage, and question marks hovered over the EC’s competence to manage the process. “Once again these elections fell short of meeting key democratic benchmarks.”

It was the first time international election observers were speaking out strongly against the elections yet the issues raised have been recurrent in four of the five presidential elections organised under Mr Museveni’s ruling NRM government. In fact both the EU and Commonwealth observers said they had issued various recommendations on improving the electoral environment in previous reports but it was clear [several] had been circumvented.

The result, since then, has been the recurrent sabre-rattling between the government and its two biggest bilateral partners—the United States and EU.

The US, Uganda’s strongest military ally in the Great Lakes region, kicked up the storm first by writing off the elections as “deeply inconsistent with international standards and expectations for any democratic process” and said Ugandans “deserve better.”

The United Nations followed, saying it backed and stands by findings of international election observer groups. EU, followed with a firm stand on the ground with findings of its Mission. Then, followed Canada.

In Africa, only Botwsana’s Ian Khama’s government openly expressed disapproval by underlining findings by international observers, citing the elections as having been short of democratic principles.

The guest list: usual characters, birds of the same feathers
Museveni was first sworn in office on January 26, 1986 after his guerilla National Resistance Army (NRA) seized power from the late General Tito Okello who had overthrown Milton Obote in 1985.

When he was first sworn in office in 1986, in Africa, 47 of the 52 countries were under different presidents although some have since gone through various transitions—coup d’état, elections, death of sitting heads of state, name it.

The exceptions were, still are, Cameroon under Paul Biya for now 40 years; Equatorial Guinea under Teodoro Obiang Nguema now reigning for the 36 years; Angola under José Eduardo dos Santos 36 years and Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe still going at 36 years.

He was elected President in 1996, and reelected in 2001, 2006 and 2011.
The 1996 swearing-in was attended by presidents from neighbouring countries: Kenya’s Daniel arap Moi, Tanzania’s Benjamin Mkapa, Rwanda’s Pasteur Bizimungu and Burundi’s Sylvestre Ntibantunganya.

Five presidents attended the May 12, 2001 ceremony held at the Kololo Ceremonial grounds in Kampala. They included Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, fallen Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gadaffi, Kenya’s Arap Moi, Tanzania’s Benjamin Mkapa, Burundi’s Pierre Buyoya and South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, then serving as Vice President.

In 2006, the government invited 30 African leaders for the swearing-in but only 14 attended. They included Thabo Mbeki (South Africa), Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe), Mwai Kibaki (Kenya), Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania) Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Meles Zenawi (Ethiopia), Pierre Nkurunziza (Burundi), Abdulahi Yusuf (Somalia), Omar Guelle (Djibouti), and Mohammed Abdelziz of Saharawi Arab Democratic Repubic (SADR).

Vice presidents included Armando Emitio of Mozambique, Mohammed Abdelziz of SADR, Pierre Bemba of DR Congo and South Sudan’s Salva Kiir Mayardit.

Speaking after his inauguration President Museveni remarked that the “big turn-out of African leaders as witnesses to this swearing in ceremony is a show of unity of African leadership.
“It is further testimony that Africa is capable of solving its own problems without surrendering her sovereignty to external powers.”

The 2006 election, like the 2001 polls culminated in chaos and were challenged in the Supreme Court. The panel of judges in the two occasions ruled the exercises were marred with vote malpractices, harassment of Opposition voters by security but declined to overturn the incumbent’s victory.

The Constitution also barred him from standing for another term in 2006 but the craft to delete term limits from the Constitution was engineered in 2003 and effected in 2005. Western governments widely condemned the removal of the term limits and the chaotic polls but were quick to loosen up due to the ongoing fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel insurgency that wreaked havoc in Uganda, the now South Sudan and Eastern DR. Congo.

The 2011 swearing-in was attended by nine heads of state out of the 32 who had been invited by the government. These included, the SADR’s Mohammed Abdelziz, Nigeria’s Goodluck Jonathan, DR. Congo’s Joseph Kabila, Tanzania’s Jakaya Kiwete, former Kenyan presidents Arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki, Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, South Sudan’s Salva Kiir, Gambia’s Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh. Rwanda and Egypt sent ministers.
The elections preceding were not contested in court but culminated in countrywide chaos and episodes of security shooting protesters, which the international community condemned. On day of swearing-in, the convoys of President Goodluck and other dignitaries were pelted with stones on Entebbe Road.

On all the previous swearing-in occasions the guest list has been recurrent or rather not so glitzy: mostly neighbours, close allies and or Afro-centric comrades.
As of yesterday, the Protocal department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had comfirmed attendance of 15 leaders from among others Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Swaziland, Chad and Mali. President Obama and UK’s Cameron are not among them.
Western governments have since the February 18 polls been critical of the government, and the public will therefore be keen on whether they will be represented at Kololo.

2001 guests

Col. Gadaffi (late)

Omar al-Bashir

Jacob Zuma

Benjamin Mkapa

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