By Wesley Spartan
The Ugandan Head of State is known for his famous speech in 1986 when swearing in as the new Head of State of the country that had been devastated by conflicts for many years. “The problem of Africa in general and Uganda in particular, is not the people but leaders who want to overstay in power.”
However, in an infamous U-turn in 2005, he secured a change to the constitution allowing himself a third term. He argued that he is more experienced than the rest of Ugandans and according to him, he is the only Ugandan with the vision for Uganda, unfortunately his party is now torn apart with the departure of his former comrade and one of the founders of the NRM Party. President Museveni is now, at the age of 71, serving a fourth. But recently his party nominated him as the sole candidate and flag bearer of NRM for the next presidential.
Burundi’s situation is just another latest example of the chaos caused by presidents wanting to over stay in power by using crook methods; they have changed the constitution and cling on to power.
Pierre Nkurunziza was supposed to be the answer to Burundi’s problem of decades of disastrous leadership.
A former university lecturer, he became Burundi’s “Minister for Good Governance” and was elected president in 2005. His country had been wracked by civil war and unrest since independence from Belgium in 1962. In 1972 sectarian violence between Hutus and Tutsis saw up to 210,000 people killed, then in 1993 the first Hutu president, Melchior Ndadaye, was assassinated – triggering the loss of a further 25,000 lives through tribal warfare.
For the next ten years peace talks continued, with the mediation of Nelson Mandela. And Mr Nkurunziza’s election was supposed to cement the ceasefire, and mark a new era of calm under the 2000 Arusha peace agreement.
Initially it worked, but in April Mr Nkurunziza said he was going to run for a third term – contravening the Arusha agreement, which specifically states that no president can be elected three times. Mr Nkurunziza’s argument was that he had not been actually elected the first time – he said he was elected by parliament, so it didn’t count.
In the ensuing violence, 300,000 people fled to neighbouring Rwanda and Tanzania, and generals attempted a coup – which quickly failed. Elections were due on June 26, but they were postponed, despite all the chaos that has engulfed Burundi, Mr Nkurunziza is still vowing to run.
Paul Kagame of Rwanda has effectively ruled his tiny nation since the genocide of 1994, which saw 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus massacred in 100 days. He was initially vice president, but accepted as de facto ruler; in 2000 he was elected president.
The 57-year-old has served the two seven-year terms permitted by the constitution, but has remained worryingly ambiguous about his intentions ahead of 2017 elections.
I belong to the group that doesn’t support change of the constitution,” he said in April. “But in a democratic society, debates are allowed and they are healthy. I’m open to going or not going depending on the interest and future of this country.”
This a big dilemma for many African leaders who don’t learn from History and always serve their interests, with simplistic arguments full of lies and selfishness, either they cannot leave power because their people love them or they are the only Citizens with the vision.
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