The former Presidential Press Secretary, Joseph Tamale Mirundi has warned President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to be careful with his move of weakening opposition political parties.
During an interview with a local Youtube media channel on Wednesday, the veteran journalist cautioned the President that weakening the opposition political parties will not help him but it may leave the country in distressful situation.
Mirundi argued that currently, opposition political parties are the checkers of the ruling regime and have helped a lot in the political formation of Uganda despite being in opposition and that it will be very dangerous for a country to be without strong elements that oppose some evil ideas from the ruling party.
“If it’s true that Museveni bought off some members of FDC to be on his side, he is killing himself instead because he will fail with them. Any intelligent political strategist must maintain the opposition vibrant. And if he continues like this, we shall come a time when we don’t have any capable and intelligent man to lead this country because through Museveni’s tactics, all intelligent and capable people have been humiliated, and left politics,” he said.
Mirundi added that having a vibrant opposition is crucial for holding the ruling party or government accountable for its actions. However, without effective opposition, there is a higher risk of unchecked power and potential abuse of authority, leading to corruption and mismanagement of resources.
“In a healthy democratic system, the opposition plays a vital role in providing checks and balances to the ruling party. Without a robust opposition, the government may have a free hand to pass legislation or make decisions without adequate scrutiny, which can lead to policies that do not serve the best interests of the nation and we have seen this happening here on several occasions,” he noted.
He also warned that lack of a viable opposition can lead to frustrations among citizens who feel unheard or marginalized. This discontent can result in protests, social unrest, or even violence as people seek alternative ways to express their grievances.
Mirundi’s caution comes at a time when the top leaders of Forum for Democratic Change are fighting each other over money issues which one of the sides alleges that it was from President Museveni with an aim of ‘selling the opposition political party’ to the ruling establishment.
President Museveni has always been heard saying he will work hard to see that opposition in Uganda becomes meaningless and useless in the eyes of Ugandans.
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