Proceedings of The 8th International Conference on New Findings in Humanities and Social Sciences
Year: 2022
DOI:
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Intolerance among Ugandan Politicians and the Survival of Democracy
Charles Kiiza
ABSTRACT:
The level of intolerance exhibited and the bitterness expressed by politicians in Uganda whether those from the same political Party or among those of different Parties is a serious issue of concern not only to the health of democracy but to society at large. Business in Parliament is very often characterized by bitter exchanges and shouts, which paralyze or slowdown debates. A vivid example is the September 2017 violent fight in Parliament when attempts were made by a private member to introduce the motion to debate and amend Article 102 Clause b of the 1995 Constitution, which set the cap for those interested to contest for President to 75 years. Politicians who begin together their political journey and share great experiences and encounter similar challenges, instead of this emboldening them to stick together, along the way they separate and treat each other as bitter enemies. The current paper looks at how democracy has suffered owing to the intolerance among Ugandan politicians. An account of the root causes that explains intolerance among politicians in Uganda is analysed. Contained in the manuscript also is an analysis that explains the bitter split by politicians even when unity is in their best interest. Finally, measures for promoting fair competition for political power for politicians both from the ruling Party and Opposition are examined.
keywords: Bitterness, concern, debate, parliament, unity