Alan Tacca
The problem with Mr Richard Lumu is that he thinks like Mr Richard Lumu. The Mityana South MP needs a piece of Budhist wisdom: Do not overvalue yourself; tomorrow you will be forgotten.Being a lawyer, and accustomed to perceiving himself among ‘learned friends’, it is perhaps natural if at his many radio talk show appearances Lumu sometimes sounds haughty, often referring to his brain and declaring his impatience with other people’s brains.
He may be relying too much on being ‘learned’ and not learning enough about communicating more efficiently with his political colleagues.That can be forgiven. But there is no need to ignore his contradictions.Politics – or politicians – can knock you about until you begin doubting your assumed size, or which direction you are facing.Lumu’s pitfall is that he thinks he is a giant, and that when he is sharpening his teeth against his (theoretical) friends he is fighting against President Museveni’s rule.
In the Bill he recently cobbled and has been peddling from door to door, the central idea is that all the MPs of the different Opposition parties in Parliament choose one of three candidates presented to them by the leader of the strongest party in Opposition.Lumu argues that this will make the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LoP) more representative of the broad Opposition and more accountable; not the agent of one party or party leader.
His critics show how in the recent past the Executive has given money to MPs before a vote on key issues. It would be easy for the Executive to seriously compromise the LoP vote.Also, Lumu seems to assume that by not being in the ruling party, all the outsiders will always occupy a common ideological space; that their collective vote will capture the voice of the runner-up force in the electorate.No three people are equal in strength, or party loyalty, or general integrity.
What if some of the other Opposition parties – even a coalition of the (ideologically) most detestable minorities – gang up against the strongest of the three candidates and deliberately select the weakest, with the aim of undermining the leading Opposition party?A seemingly democratic idea suddenly becomes a weapon against the block of voters whose parliamentary voice was supposed to lead the Opposition.Defending his pet project, Lumu vehemently denies targeting the present LoP, Joel Ssenyonyi, since his proposals would only become operative after the next general election. Granted, Ssenyonyi is safe.
So, is Lumu targeting the appointing authority, who currently is Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), and who might well remain the leader of National Unity Platform (NUP), which may also remain the leading Opposition party in Parliament after another disputed election? Lumu’s ‘if-law’ would prevent the NUP chief from having the last say in choosing the LoP.
Lumu also frequently insists that his quarrel with the leadership of NUP is over a dictatorial tendency, not enough consultation.An uncharitable spectator could say that Lumu is simply tired of licking the wounds of being ignored; because in his ongoing effort, he is turning the purpose of consultation upside down.
After the draft he is peddling has been rejected by almost all the Opposition parties, he is insisting on pursuing it. That kind of obstinacy also typically comes from a self-opinionated and often dictatorial mindset. Finally, Lumu should be believed when he says that he has not been ‘bought’ by the ruling NRM.If, thinking alone, Lumu is voluntarily undermining and successfully disrupting the Opposition, the NRM would be foolishly extravagant to pay him.
Mr Tacca is a novelist and socio-political commentator.
[email protected]
Don’t want to miss out on any story? For updates on all Monitor stories, follow this link on WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/4aYJlp3
