REALITY CHECK Multiparty Politics in Uganda Assoc
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REALITY CHECK Multiparty Politics in Uganda Assoc. Prof. Yasin Olum (PhD) The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung but rather those of the author. MULTIPARTY POLITICS IN UGANDA i REALITY CHECK Multiparty Politics in Uganda Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung 51A, Prince Charles Drive, Kololo P. O. Box 647, Kampala Tel. +256 414 25 46 11 www.kas.de ISBN: 978 - 9970 - 153 - 09 - 1 Author Assoc. Prof. Yasin Olum (PhD) © Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung 2011 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung ii MULTIPARTY POLITICS IN UGANDA Table of Contents Foreword ..................................................................................................... 1 List of Tables ................................................................................................. 3 Acronyms/Abbreviations ................................................................................. 4 Introduction .................................................................................................. 7 PART 1: THE MULTIPARTY ENVIRONMENT: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND INSTITUTIONS ........................... 11 Chapter One: ‘Democratic’ Transition in Africa and the Case of Uganda ........................... 12 Introduction ................................................................................................... 12 Defining Democracy ...................................................................................... 12 Democratic Transition Processes in Africa .......................................................... 16 Dominant Party Systems ................................................................................. 16 Regime Types and Party Systems in Africa ..........................................................18 Neo-patrimonial Rule .................................................................................... 25 Summary of the Major Developments of the Transition from Movement System to Multiparty Democracy ............................................. 26 Chapter Two: The Legal and Constitutional Framework for Consolidating Multiparty Democracy .................................. 30 Introduction .................................................................................................. 30 Defining the Constitutional and the Legal Framework for Consolidating Multipartyism ....................................................................... 30 Transition from Colonialism to Independence ..................................................... 31 The 1966 Constitution: From Obote and Beyond ................................................ 32 The NRM and Its Response to Constitutional Transition ....................................... 33 The Constituent Assembly................................................................................ 34 The Referendum Bill ....................................................................................... 36 The 1967 Independence Constitution: The Foundation of the 1995 Constitution ........................................................................................... 37 The 1995 Constitution ..................................................................................... 37 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 39 Chapter Three: Multipartyism and Decentralisation: Progress, Challenges and Prospects for Deepening Democracy in Uganda ................................................................................. 41 Introduction .................................................................................................. 41 Overview of the Decentralisation Policy in Uganda .............................................. 41 The State of Decentralisation under Multipartyism .............................................. 44 Factors Influencing Decentralisation under Multipartyism ................................... 45 Implications for the Functionality of Local Governments under Multipartyism ...........46 Achievements of Decentralisation .................................................................... 48 MULTIPARTY POLITICS IN UGANDA iii Challenges of Decentralisation under Multipartyism ............................................. 50 Strengthening Local Governments under Multipartyism .........................................53 Conclusion ................................................................................................... 58 Chapter Four: Ethnicity, Religion and Multiparty Democracy in Uganda ................................................................................. 59 Introduction ................................................................................................... 59 Meaning and Application of Ethnicity ................................................................. 59 The Role of Religion and Ethnicity in Multiparty Democracy in Uganda .................... 61 Constraints to Constructing Multiparty Democracy under Ethnic Conditions ............. 65 Strategies for the Management of the Transition to Multiparty Democracy .............. 66 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 68 PART II: MULTIPARTYISM AND ELECTORAL DEMOCRACY ............................ 69 Chapter Five: The Management of Multiparty Elections ............................... 70 Introduction ................................................................................................... 70 Elections and Democracy ................................................................................. 70 Characteristics of Democratic Elections .............................................................. 71 The Historical and Legal Contexts of Elections in Uganda...................................... 72 The Legal and Institutional-cum-Structural Frameworks for Elections .................... 73 Electoral System: Choosing between Systems .................................................... 78 Challenges and Remedies of Managing Elections ................................................ 83 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 92 Chapter Six: Assessing the 2011 Campaign Process ..................................... 94 Introduction ................................................................................................... 94 Explaining Political Campaigning and Voting Decisions in Campaigns ...................... 94 The 2011 Campaign and the Electoral process ................................................... 95 The 2011 Issues-based versus-Personality Based Campaigns ............................. 101 The 2011 Campaigns and Voters’ Choices ....................................................... 102 Conclusion .................................................................................................. 103 Chapter Seven: Commercialisation of Elections in Uganda ........................ 104 Introduction ..................................................................................................104 Money and Democracy: Theorising on the Commercialisation of Politics ................104 Money and Campaigning in Uganda ................................................................. 105 Money and Party Competition ......................................................................... 106 Remedies to the Challenges of the Commercialisation of Politics .......................... 109 Conclusion ................................................................................................... 110 iv MULTIPARTY POLITICS IN UGANDA PART III: THE POLITICAL PARTIES AND MULTIPARTY POLITICS ............. 111 Chapter Eight: Institutionalisation and Functional Performance of Political Parties ............................................................... 112 Introduction ................................................................................................ 112 History of Parties ......................................................................................... 112 Party Systems ............................................................................................. 114 The Institutional and Functional Characteristics of Political Parties in Uganda ........ 120 The Inter-Party Co-operation (IPC) and Multiparty Democracy ............................ 129 The Weaknesses and Remedies to the Functional Performance of Political Parties in Uganda ...........................................................................133 The Future of Political Parties ..........................................................................139 Conclusion ....................................................................................................140 Chapter Nine: The Multiparty Parliament .................................................... 141 Introduction ..................................................................................................141 The Theory and Role of Opposition ...................................................................141 Formal Recognition of the Opposition ...............................................................144 Caucusing in Parliament .................................................................................156 The Independents in the Parliament