Col Besigye’s Jailing : Opposition On Test

Col Besigye’s Jailing : Opposition On Test

By Angel Lubowa

KAMPALA

The primary role of political parties is to attain state power through constitutional means which I guess is through the vote.

And listening to CBS FM the other week I recall the host Meddie Nsereko asking his guests on “Parliament yaffe” program how they were getting ready to capture or retain power . The panel had opposition and NRM representation.

If politics is a football game, then the presidency is the trophy.

Each club manager makes out his own game plan to the trophy regardless of the huddles Infront of him. They may be poor players, injury, finance or even red cards coming his side.

Alternatively the opponent team tend to find any way of weakening it’s competitor or confusing it totally. It can even fault it by harming it’s star players to send them off pitch.

While playing chess, each pawn you move has impacts and movement of pieces differ knights move differently from Bishops but a smart mover will eventually win.

That’s why it’s less news in politics if a leading opposition figure or game changer is arrested at a prime time or charged.

Such charges be them real or imaginary, current or resurrected to serve purpose can only hood wink the affected group turning them into a lame duck as the opponent steadily advance towards the trophy if the afflicted group does not calculate.

In other words it only needs wit for those affected to over step any inconveniences to focus on the next rewarding political path.

Today as the elections body blows the whistle to 2026 national elections with the voters Registers updating not too much preparedness is heard from the opposition.

The brains have been spent so much on jailed opposition figure Col Besigye and time may be passing.

As NRM drums it’s already big support since it’s in power already and for over three decades, the opposition is merely bent on Col Besigye jailing and how he can attain freedom or squabbles in their different parties.

This ought to be the moment for brain work, alliances and strategies but what is coming out of the opposition are warring differences as NUP,DP, UPC,JEEMA, DA and FDC 1 and 2 segment them selves each planning a sole candidate.

The Col Besigye jailing would otherwise have caused a uniting factor as it showed first on news of his arrest breaking .

To a sharp shooter in politics, any incident would better be exploited.

In the 1980 elections for example , who was rigged the vote? And who fought for the stolen vote? That’s what is called political eagle eye.

The mere crying and disorganization of a disfavored team can never help it win a trophy but a seized opportunity can make a difference.

In the recent US polls the more former president Joe Biden’s administration piled cases on Republican candidate Donald Trump , the more he machinated them into opportunities and we all know where he is today.

In Senegal last year, the Jailing of firebrand Ousmane Sonko and the presidential candidate , Bassirou Diomaye Faye was turned from an omen iinto an advantage.