Prime
Amin asks for five years to organise country before holding elections
New president Idi Amin (centre) meets his troops after the 1971 coup against Milton Obote. PHOTOS | FILE
What you need to know:
- The new president said he had undertaken a detailed study of the political and economic organisation of the country with a view to making necessary improvements.
When Idi Amin assumed the office of President in 1971, he said he was not a politician, and was a man of few words.
Amin said his was a government of action and the junta would be in office for five years, after which the army would return power to an elected government after a free and fair election.
Amin became President of Uganda after the army ousted Milton Obote on January 25, 1971, while the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) leader was in Singapore attending a summit.
Obote had instructed his minister of Internal Affairs, Basil Bataringaya, to oversee the arrest of Amin, who was the army commander. The mission failed.
In the turn of events, soldiers at the Lubiri Barracks, majority of them from West Nile sub-region, like Amin, mutinied.
Initially, Amin did not want to be President – because he thought it would appear like he plotted the coup against Obote. Besides, he thought he lacked the qualifications.
Free and fair elections
On February 22, 1971, about a month after the army had ousted Obote, the new president made a speech to the nation.
Amin promised that his military government would only be in power for five years, a period during which they would organise the country.
“The country will be aware that the officers and men of the Uganda Army and Air Force suggested last Saturday that my government should stay in power for at least five years. I have now had time to consult my colleagues in Cabinet on this matter. Our position is that we want to clean up this country in all its aspects, and then organise completely free and fair elections in which everybody in Uganda will be at liberty to take part,” he said.
“So far, we have appointed four commissions of inquiry and they will soon start their work. We have at the same time undertaken a detailed study of the political, economic and sound organisation of this country with a view to making necessary improvements. As soon as the work of the commissions of inquiry is completed and the military government has had the chance to put the affairs of this country in order, general elections will be held.”
“This task might take a period of much less than five years. While, therefore, appreciating the suggestion of the soldiers and thanking them for their support and expression of confidence, I repeat what I have said before, that the military government will hand over power at the earliest opportune moment.”
Army’s statement on elections
Two days before Amin made the announcement at Kololo Airstrip (now Kololo Independence Grounds) in Kampala, the army had made a similar statement.
On February 20, 1971, the army gave 13 reasons as to why they had decided to bestow the Office of the President to Amin and said they would – in reason No.8 – hold general elections within five years.
“We also support the government’s plan to examine the position of prices and taxes to make sure that the ordinary Ugandan is not crushed by the high cost of living. In view of the very bad state of affairs left behind by the last regime, we fully appreciate that our government, led by His Excellency, Maj Gen Idi Amin, is faced with a great task,” the statement read in part.
“Public life must be cleaned up and the economy must be put to a sound basis. In addition, the people of Uganda have to be educated to think in terms of Uganda as a whole and love and respect one another in the spirit of brotherhood, unity and equality. We have, therefore, decided that our government as led by His Excellency, Maj Gen Idi Amin Dada, must be in power for at least five years.
“We believe that at the end of such a period, national elections could be organised and held in a period of tranquillity and mutual respect. From messages received by us we know that this proposal has the support of the great majority of Ugandans.”
By the end of his rule, no Ugandan could dare remind Amin of his promise. The former army commander led Uganda with an iron fist and used decrees since he abolished Parliament.
In April 1979, Amin was ousted by a combination of Tanzanian forces and Ugandan exiles.
