Opposition parties should build their internal capabilities to manage the external threats

For the past one year, there has been turbulence in Opposition parties. From UPC, DP, FDC and now NUP. These storms cannot be downplayed because they threaten the health and eventually existence of these parties. 

I haven’t talked about NRM because while talking about evil, you don’t mention the devil itself.  However, whereas it has its own challenges, being a party in power it uses State machinery to enforce or impose its will.

It also uses the national treasury to patronize dissent which brings some equilibrium and stability within its ranks after all it’s hard to make noise while eating, an advantage that opposition lacks. 

So, many times, Opposition leaders are quick to blame President Museveni for their woes and the general narrow political space. 

To illustrate this, Dr Kizza Besigye uses the analogy of a fish surviving in toxic waters. His argument is that political parties are political institutions which can only thrive in a democratic environment which we don’t have. Whereas his view is valid, there is the other side of the coin where Opposition leaders should focus as well.

The principle of adaptation in sociology suggests that organisms which can’t adapt to the prevailing situations will not survive. This means that however tough or challenging a situation might be, an organism must find means (or build internal capabilities) of surviving. We can also use the concept of ‘resilience’ to explain this. 

Here the issue is that political parties should find means of survival amidst the harassment, brutality, corruption, narrow political space etc.  This calls for leaders to be focused and to invest heavily in strategic planning because as Maxwell says, “everything rises and falls on leadership” Political parties in Uganda have many actors but lack thinkers. They should be having think tanks or teams of people who sit in board rooms to analyze every situation and every strategic decision they take etc. 

Political parties must be conscious of two environments; the external environment which include state harassment, brutality, economic hardships, political culture, deteriorating ethical standards in the society etc.

However, they also have their own internal environment which includes Party discipline, communication, conflict resolution, internal democracy, decision making, transparency etc.

On several occasions internal disagreements have forced leaders or members out of Parties. ANT was because of failure to harmonize on ideological and strategic paths within FDC. One side thought removing Museveni through elections was impossible while the other thought we needed to build Party structures in order to build our capabilities. We were maybe both right and wrong, 6 years later those who believed in defiance are stuck with their defiance (some are about form another party, while others resorted to party building) but also those of us who believed in Party building are still stuck in our party building, none of us has removed Museveni. 

There is no doubt that we would have been stronger if we stayed together through harmonizing our positions and complementing one another!  Because Museveni likes to swim in troubled waters, he used this storm to cause more divisions, the rest is history!

Similar issues are happening within NUP, the complaints of bullying of leaders (kulabisa) started a long time ago,  Mpuuga raised some of these concerns during his tenure as LOP as he was undermined by people at the Secretariat as well as foot soldiers.

Questions regarding character assassination & insulting leaders via Social media by NUP supporters have also been raised with many questioning the character and values of the party. Whereas NUP has denied these actions or supporters, evidence has shown otherwise.  Also processes of the party have been questioned, for example the delegates conference that amended the NUP constitution was done in a mafia style (rabo dabo style), not even the media was informed about it.

The power of the Kyagulanyi family has been raised, individuals like Fred Nyanzi becoming another Salim Saleh etc and lastly the issue of Bobi Wine being worshipped as a cult leader who never makes a mistake and whose word is final has been a concern.

If people keep raising these issues and they are dismissed or bullied, or if an environment is created where people fear to raise such concerns, it will affect party cohesion, stifle internal democracy and weaken the party systems or processes. 

Many people in the opposition are willing to face the hardships within the external environments. Hey, are willing to forgo jobs or business opportunities, ready to be tear gassed or to sleep in jail etc. However, they are not willing to accept any form of injustice within their own political parties. 

People run away from Museveni because he is unquestionable, they don’t want to find the same within an Opposition Party. 

As these things happen in Opposition, NRM, which enjoys swimming in troubled waters, is always available to take advantage. As you abuse your leaders that they are moles, NRM is enticing them with money & job offers. Look at Bukoto South MP Twaha Kagabo, he was paraded before the media by NUP supporters like a chicken thief, embarrassed and got abandoned, he ended up joining the MK Movement.

Why would an MP be treated like that? Even if your son stole money, would you parade him for the whole village to laugh? Even if Mpuuga may have made a mistake, would you parade your wife naked before the public and your children simply because she cheated on you?

Unless Opposition parties build their internal capabilities, they will keep disunited and disjointed!

*Written by George Muhimbise 

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