Later today, the UK Parliament will debate the current political situation and state of democracy in Uganda, championed by Stockton South MP, Dr Paul Williams (Labour Party).
Williams yesterday told local Television NTV, that his observation and that of the British people, is that the democracy and Independence of the Electoral commission are undermined by the leadership of President Yoweri Museveni.
He said that the freedoms and rights of opposition politicians like Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, have been abused and many of them tortured and harassed, saying that UK MPs as “friends of Uganda” needed a chance to discuss them.
Tasked to explain why focus is on Uganda, yet many other countries on the continent have similar political challenges, the British legislator, said that he is aware that no country is perfect including the UK.
He was however quick to say that, there are worse situations which need intervention.
“None of us [governments] is perfect but that doesn’t mean that there is no serious concern about MPs being arrested and tortured and about the whole way about how democracy is conducted in Uganda,” he said.
“Not only about the low intimidation, harassment of the opposition but also, we all know that in Uganda there is a parallel structure – parallel to the democratic process that is only loyal to the president and the ruling party and that makes it difficult for a true democracy to be able to prevail,” Dr Williams explained.
“And it makes it very difficult for the Ugandan people if they ever want to choose a different leader to be able to do that in a free and fair way.” he added.
This is not the first time Paul Williams is showing concern into political developments in Uganda, he was as well very vocal in demanding the release of MP Kyagulanyi in August when he was arrested during the Arua Municipality MP by election violence, when he raised the issue in the UK Parliament.
But prior to that, In April, Williams said during a plenary sitting that President Kaguta Museveni should be told that ‘it’s time to go’ because he has ‘become a barrier to his country’s development and good governance includes leaving power’.
The debate will take place from 7:30pm – 8:30pm EAT and Williams, in his motion, calls upon the troubled UK Prime Minister and her ministers to use the influence of the “UK Government together with the EU, the UN, the Commonwealth and in other transnational bodies to promote democracy in Uganda”.
