Thirty one years, then army commander, Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, warned that there were no guarantees that the 1995 Constitution would last long unless politicians changed their ways.
According to The Monitor of August 9, 1995, Gen Muntu, who was also one of the 10 representatives of the National Resistance Army (NRA) in the Constituent Assembly (CA), issued the warning on August 8, 1995.
The newspaper revealed that Gen Muntu issued the warning while contributing to a motion tabled by the Bubulo East Constituency Assembly Delegate (CAD), Mr Simon Mulongo. Mr Mulongo had sought to reopen debate on Article 131 (1) (b) and insert a provision that would have limited the number of terms of office that a Member of Parliament (MP) could serve.
Mr Mulongo, who was recently named as the State minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Employment and Industrial Relations, argued that the motion was meant to change the practice of old politicians standing in the way of young politicians who sought to replace them.
However, Gen Muntu argued that the biggest problem with selling the idea of term limits was that around 90 percent of the delegates in the CA were interested in contesting the next general election and to compete for parliamentary seats in future elections.
He said in most African countries, more than 50 percent of the people who went to Parliament at Independence were still active politicians.
“Politics should not be made into a profession. You may legitimise violence once all the channels of changing [leaders] are closed,” Gen Muntu was quoted as having said.
The soldier also wondered why the motion to limit the number of terms for MPs was being resisted, yet the number of terms that a President could serve had been set at two.
At the time, the CA had already passed Article 105(2), which provided that ‘a person shall not be elected under this Constitution to hold office as President for more than two terms as prescribed by this Article’.
According to the newspaper, Mr Daniel Omara Atubo, the CAD for Otuke County, responded, saying that the motion was being resisted because the whole institution of the Executive was vested in one man – the President, yet the Legislature would have many members.
Gen Muntu, according to the newspaper, was not convinced by Mr Atubo’s submission.
‘The abuse of power in Africa has not been because of the power of the President, but the inefficiency of Parliament to check him; the weakness of politicians who are weak and have no backbone; politicians who cannot, on principle, sacrifice,” Gen Muntu argued.
The newspaper also reported that Mr John Eresu, the Kaberamaido County CAD, opposed the motion, saying it would deny people the right to choose their leaders.
Also on the list of those who opposed the motion was Mr Gaston Maliro, who was the Mwenge North CAD. He, on his part, argued that being an MP was a service.
“If the electorate is interested in your service, they will vote for you again,” Mr Maliro was quoted to have said.
Mr David Pulkol, the CAD for Matheniko County in Karamoja, supported Mr Mulongo’s motion. He argued that in a country where leaders have not yet developed a culture of stepping down or resigning in the face of controversy, there had to be a mechanism for putting a cap on the period of time that one could occupy an office.
“Even if you are the best performer on earth, new people are being born. New ideas are being born, and when you stay too long, you become insensitive to the needs of the population,” Mr Pulkol was quoted to have said.
Mr Pulkol further argued that President Museveni had shown the way by announcing that he would quit elective politics at the age of 55.
Mr Pulkol was referring to the July 19, 1995, announcement by President Museveni that he would leave office and go into cattle farming once he turned 55 years of age.
Mr Museveni made the announcement in Kisoro during a meeting with district officials, members of the local councils and elders of Bufumbira East constituency in Kisoro District at St Gertrude’s Girls’ School, Mutolere. The meeting was part of activities he engaged in during a three-day tour of the district.
“When I reach 55, I will not be in public life anymore. I told you this when I was 48 (two years ago). I’m ready to help Ugandans and Africa in public life up to the age of 55,” Mr Museveni, who was 50, said at the time.
That would have meant that he would not be contesting for any election after the 1996 presidential election, the first that was organised after the promulgation of the 1995 Constitution.
During the debate in the CA on that day, Mr Pulkol used the announcement to take a swipe at some politicians who had been active in politics for a long time.
“There are people here like Abu Mayanja. Maybe until Jesus comes back he will be here,” Mr Pulkol was quoted to have submitted.
Mr Pulkol was referring to the late Abu Mayanja, who was one of the six founders and first secretary general of Uganda’s first political party, the Uganda National Congress (UNC), which was formed in March 1952. He remained active in the political opposition against the regimes of Milton Obote and Idi Amin. He was named a Minister for Constitutional Affairs after the NRM took power in January 1986 and went on to hold several ministerial dockets. He died on November 4, 2005, at Mulago hospital after a short illness.
Motion lost
According to the newspaper, Mr Mulongos’ motion was lost after a division lobby vote where 86 delegates opposed it, while 65 supported it. There were also two abstentions.
The newspaper reported that Ms Rhoda Kalema and professors Senteza Kajubi and Apollo Nsibambi were some of the ‘old timers’ who supported the motion.
Besigye’s motion
Earlier the same day, Lt Col Kizza Besigye, who was one of the 10 CAD’s of the army, moved a motion to reopen debate on Article 129 (1) (b), which provided that “Parliament shall consist of one woman representative for every district”
Dr Besigye sought to have it amended to insert a clause to read that, ‘Parliament shall consist of a woman elected from every district. The woman [referred to above] shall not be elected for membership of Parliament for more than one term of Parliament’.
He argued that the Assembly had already agreed on the need for affirmative action to empower women to come into public life.
“My intention is to ensure it will empower as many women as possible to come into public life and specifically into Parliament,” he argued.
He said to leave the women free to stand as many times as they want would block other women who want to join public life, because the incumbents would be too strong to be removed.
However, Kajara County CAD, Mr Kweronda Ruhemba, opposed the motion, saying that Dr Besigye’s reasons were ‘flimsy’. He argued that a district woman representative would inspire confidence among women in the districts, adding that women who performed best would always win.
“To say she should wind up halfway is erroneous. We are still short of these women. In some districts we have had to borrow women from other districts,” Mr Ruhemba argued.
He also wondered why Dr Besigye wanted restrictions on the number of times women could contest on the affirmative action ticket, yet no restrictions had been slapped on his own positions.
“He has been a member of the NRC since 1982, when we were in the bush, but he has not given up his seat to other officers,” Mr Kweronda said.
Dr Besigye’s motion was also defeated.