COMMENT: Mwenda’s attack on Besigye

Mwenda passionately argues that democracy develops from the political action of society not inaction. He thus should lay blame and direct anger where it rightfully falls. For how does one man; Kizza Besigye (who apparently has no official position in his party), overshadow what Mwenda calls “many moderate leaders of FDC”!? Mwenda says Besigye occupies so much political space and has deterred other opposition politicians from becoming strong. So how incompetent can these moderate leaders be?

Like me, Mwenda is an ardent admirer of Gen. Mugisha Muntu who has been in charge of party mobilisation from 2005 to 2012 and later party President. This should have given Muntu opportunity to grow his base and positioned him better. Well, he has not (yet). So by seeking to silence Besigye, Mwenda risks creating a political vacuum in the opposition, and entrenching “dictatorship”. He’s choice to justify failure instead of “waking the sleeping dogs” does no help, especially in pursuit of democracy. People like Abdu Katuntu (one of my favorite politicians) have ignored taking up electoral positions in the party.

My view is that the current setup of the FDC (if organised) strengthens it. At the helm of the party ranks, are two varying types of political philosophies; the aggressive and belligerent Besigye and the calm, composed and moderate Muntu. Besigye has lived to his fullness; Muntu has, but not fully. Muntu managed to mobilise quietly, and saw FDC increase its voter strength from two million voters in 2011 to 3.5 million voters in 2016. I believe the figure would be higher were there no rigging. But he has failed to capitalise on his acceptability within the NRM establishment to negotiate and cause dialogue (on any issue).

Whereas Mwenda is obsessed with “moderates”, he falls short of explaining their failure to show results of their moderation. Results, in terms of for example, electoral reforms last year would convince me that such a means is very important but is stifled by Besigye. But we also need to assess the willingness of the NRM establishment to respect dialogue and its results.

By firing vigorous attacks on Besigye, Mwenda is lifting the responsibility of struggling (either through dialogue and resistance) for better governance off the “moderate” leaders of the opposition. He is sending them to sleep. If he wishes well for opposition, as I suspect he does, he should whip them to “step up their game”.

The hunter in pursuit of an elephant does not stop at throwing stones at birds. If Besigye’s tenacity to fight on has developed an extremist group around him-and it is “intolerant” but not violent, one should not pray that it dies, rather, that others become aggravatingly incisive, extremely tolerant and moderate in challenging the dictatorship.

My view is that this group (“the extremist”) is searching for hope. Hope has two daughters; anger and courage. Anger at the way things are and courage to see they do not remain as they are. What about the “moderates”?

Mwenda should end his Besigye temper tantrum and show some dignity and reflect better on the realities that come with struggling for better governance in Africa. Is that too provocative?

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mukama.emar25@yahoo.com