Yoweri Museveni

Thousands of Ugandans filled the Independence Ground at Kololo Airstrip just outside Kampala to mark the country’s Golden Independence Jubilee Anniversary. Uganda is celebrating 50 of Independence from British colonial rule which took stretched from 1894 to 1962.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has made history himself by leading the country half of that time, was the guest of honour together with his wife Janet Museveni. Heads of state from Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Ethiopia, graced the pompous ceremony. British rule over Uganda came to an end on October 9, 1962 with the Union Jack being replaced with the Uganda National flag which was handed over to then Prime Minister Milton Obote during Independence Day on 9 October, 1962. His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent who 50 years ago presented the country’s independence to Dr Obote, was in Uganda for the first time since 1962 to represent Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

In his speech to mark the occasion, President Museveni, who shot his way to power after overthrowing the regime of Gen Tito Okello Lutwa and having fought against the regime of Milton Obote before that, again predicted that the country which has suffered several dictatorship since independence including an army take-over by Gen Idi Amin in 1971, is on course to achieving a first-world status.

Having started his reign in 1986 with a ten-point programme, Mr Museveni seemed to have come out with yet another ten-point programme which he this time named ‘10 key bottlenecks’. Mr Museveni who this year won a consecutive fourth five-year term in office, said these bottlenecks were: fighting ideological disorientation, eliminating sectarianism, improving education to refine human resources, facilitating private sector-led economic growth, developing road, rail and electricity infrastructure, market expansion through regional cooperation, pursuing industrialization for exports, developing the service sector to create jobs, modernizing agriculture to increase household incomes and deepening democratic governance.

When he first came to power, President Museveni’s earlier 10-point programme included democracy, security, the consolidation of national security, the elimination of all forms of sectarianism, defending and consolidating national independence, building an independent, integrated and self-sustaining economy, restoring and improving social services and rehabilitating war-ravaged areas, eliminating corruption and the misuse of power, redressing errors that had resulted in the dislocation of the population and improvements of others, cooperating with other African countries in defending human and democratic rights of ‘our brothers’ in other parts of Africa and following an economic strategy of mixed economy.

While Ugandans and mostly regime supporters were celebrating at Kololo, the country’s opposition leader was under house arrest at Kasangati on the Gayaza Road where armed police have put up a strong show of force to stop him from leaving his house and exercising his right to freedom of movement and speech. Dr Kizza Besigye, who is the leader of the country’s largest opposition party, the Forum for Democratic Change, has been under preventive house arrest for the last two weeks. His house is surrounded by hundreds of riot, regular and anti-terrorism police to stop him from leaving it.

Military and anti-riot police were on Tuesday deployed heavily in Masaka Municipality, south of the capital Kampala, to prevent any planned demonstrations by members of the opposition. The opposition threatened to go on streets and demonstrate while the country was celebrating the Independence Golden Jubilee.

According to the Southern Regional Police Commander, Mr. Simon Peter Wafana, police were deployed to maintain peace as Ugandans mark the Independence Golden Jubilee. It is reported that suspected groups of youth from Masaka distributed anti-government leaflets on streets with messages saying that Uganda has had ‘50 years of bondage and suffering under dictatorial rulers’ and that this period was not worth celebrating.

Political analysts and opposition parties in Uganda say that for more than half a century, the government of Uganda has still not made the necessary transition to genuine democracy. Many Ugandans who did not join the celebrations say they are not yet independent and are unsure about their future. They say true independence celebrations should have been based on the release of falsely accused political prisoners, the restoration of human rights, the declaration and implementation of zero tolerance to corruption, economic freedom for all, security, quality infrastructures like roads, and the freedom of speech to all Ugandans. Many Ugandan journalists continue to be harassed by the army and police for airing views of the opposition either on private radio and TV stations or in the newspapers.

In Karamoja, northern Uganda where his wife Janet is Minister for Karamoja, locals were angry that they had been denied the right to take part in the golden jubilee celebrations after the government ordered that all district celebrations be done after yesterday’s ceremony to enable district leaders to attend the Kololo ceremony. The decision angered locals who suggested that the government could have allowed the districts also to celebrate the independence since the districts have deputy Regional District Councillors (RDCs) and the vice chairpersons and Assistant chief Administrative officers.

“We have never seen Independence day being postponed. This is not NRM day or Labour Day. If the president was interested [to have top district leaders with him at Kololo] then it would have been better to leave the districts to conduct celebrations because deputy RDCs and their vice chairpersons, and Chief Administrative officers would pass us a national message,” said John Teko a resident of Katanga in Moroto Municipality. Peter Loputh a resident of Nakapiripirit district described the government move of postponing the Independence Day as selfishness. “Now it has called the RDCs, LCV chairpersons and CAOs to Kololo. Are those the only Ugandans?” he asked.

AUTHOR: Nangayi Guyson
URL: http://www.thelondoneveningpost.com
E-MAIL: n.guyson [at] yahoo.com

Julius Malema

In the latest twist of the saga in current South African politics former ANC Youth League President Julius Malema has been charged with money laundering. Malema, once an ally of President Jacob Zuma now counts himself as Zuma’s chief foe.

“We must make sure Jacob Zuma does not become president of the ANC…. Remove him as a president,” Malema said on Wednesday after being released on bond. “Zuma has 700 charges against him. I only have one.”

And so it is hard not to see political machinations in the charges, however legitimate, against Malema. Malema certainly does. And if Zuma’s fingerprints are anywhere near the charges coming down now one has to wonder what the President is thinking. After all, Thabo Mbeki’s alleged meddling in the legal system against Zuma after Mbeki’s ousting as party president in the last great political reckoning in South African history, in Polokwane in December 2007, led directly to Mbeki’s resignation from the presidency and only barely indirectly to Zuma’s ascension.

One perhaps telling facet of Malema’s current legal wrangling is that the populist firebrand simply does not appear to be all that popular. Police preparations and media anticipation of a showdown notwithstanding, few supporters showed up for his hearing just as the numbers at a rally for him the night before he appeared in court were underwhelming. If Malema had plans to use these charges to resurrect his political career, or at least to do so in time for the ANC party gathering for its elective conference at Mangaung in December, he might need to change tack. Zuma may well be vulnerable, but right now it appears that Malema may be a spent force.

AUTHOR: Derek Charles Catsam
URL: http://africa.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: derekcatsam [at] hotmail.com

The President of Ivory Coast, Mr. Alassane Ouatarra, gave the challenge at an inaugural lecture entitled, ‘Securing the West African Sub-region: An Assessment of the ECOWAS as a Security Instrument’ for participants of Course 21 of the National Defence College in Abuja the Nigerian capital on Friday.

Mr. Ouattarra, who is also Chairman of the Economic Commission for West African States, ECOWAS, urged other African Heads of States in the sub region to focus on the qualitative training of the military.

He said it was important for African countries to train their armed forces and prepare them to assume greater responsibilities in a democratic dispensation.

The Ivorien President said that if the issue of corruption was not effectively tackled, it would be difficult to achieve the objective of what he described as a well-trained military and good governance.

President Ouattarra recalled that a major aspect of democratic governance was the strict adherence to constitutional governance and sanctity of human rights.

He said that military personnel in any West African country must be trained and made to understand that their collective responsibility was to protect the entire nation, rather than concentrate on only the
government in power.

The ECOWAS Chairman advised governments in the ECOWAS sub-region to consider possible reforms of the regional body in order to improve its role as security instrument

President Quattarra noted that the ECOWAS sub-region should be able to back its decisions with effective use of force, “A major part of this training must deal with the issue of corruption. We cannot have professional military, let alone good governance, if the fabric of a nation is destroyed by corrupt practices.

“We must also ensure that the armed and security forces that we train and equip are focused on their major goal of preserving and enhancing national security, other than to provide security for the government in power.

“While the Nigerian armed forces remain the backbone and vanguard of ECOWAS security, we must move to broaden this responsibility so that each of our countries makes its contribution to an effective fighting force in the sub region.

“As part of our contribution to the African Union Force, we should seriously consider making our West African Brigade a standing army composed of national units than can respond quickly in time of crises and of a rapid reaction force which will be fully dedicated to the ECOWAS standing force.”

AUTHOR: Shout Africa
URL: http://www.shout-africa.com
E-MAIL: news [at] shout-africa.com

Funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and TRUSTAFRICA, the corruption perception index (CPI) 2012, released last Friday, is the work of a local civil society group, Action for Genuine Democratic Alternatives (AGENDA). This newly launched index aims to assess “public perception about the scope, type and tendency of corruption in the Liberian society” in order to inform policymakers and other stakeholders.

The index ranks corruption in Liberia into categories of hierarchy, starting from extremely corrupt down to partial transparent:
1. Extreme Corrupt: The Liberia National Police (84.25 per cent) and Liberian circuit courts (81.45 per cent)
2. Highly Corrupt: The National Legislature, justices of the peace, multi-national business, Nigerian businesses, water services, magisterial courts, and permits and payments.
3. Corrupt: Ministries of State, Health and Education; and the Supreme Court; Lebanese Businesses; television stations, Fula businesses; Liberian businesses, Immigration; newspapers; local civil society organizations; and transportation.
4. Partly Corrupt: International organizations; radio stations; and watchdog agencies
5. Partial Transparent: The General Auditing Commission and the Office of the President.

This damning report comes against the backdrop of the Liberian Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), the Whistle Blower Act, and the Freedom of Information Act, measures, among others, set up by the Srloaf administration to crack down on corruption. In August, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, suspended 46 government officials, including her own son Charles Sirleaf as the a Central Bank deputy governor, for failing to declare their assets to the country’s anti-corruption body.

AUTHOR: Ndumba Jonnah Kamwanyah
URL: http://foreignpolicyblogs.com/
E-MAIL: Ndumba.Kamwanyah [at] umb.edu

Khaleda Zia

According to Wikipedia Ziaur Rahman, was a Bangladeshi politician, the seventh President of Bangladesh and an army officer, who read the Declaration of Independence of Bangladesh. During Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971, he was first a sector commander before being promoted to one of three brigade commanders of the Bangladesh Forces; his brigade was called the Z Force, after his first initial. A highly decorated and accomplished military officer, he became a Bir Uttom, the highest gallantry award for a living officer for his wartime services, and retired from the Bangladesh Army as a Lieutenant General.He later became the seventh President of Bangladesh from 1977 until 1981. During his administration, he founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the two largest political parties in the country. He is popularly known as Shaheed President Zia, meaning “martyred Zia,” in reference to his 1981 assassination. His role during the assassination of Sheikh Mujib in 1975 and subsequent military coups have made him a controversial figure in Bangladesh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziaur_Rahman)

I have been informed by credible intelligence sources that the recent change in high level of Bangladesh Army by promoting three Brigadier Generals to the rank of Major General is a minor change of a major plan suggested by India’s foreign intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing [R&AW].

Intelligence sources also shared that the one of the three new Maj Gens, Sheikh Mohammad Aman Hasan has been made the Director General of the Special Security Force (SSF), as suggested by R&AW. The suggestion was made to bring changes in high level of SSF to insure the security of Prime Minister Sekih Hasina.

The intelligence sources also informed that DGFI and NSI was instructed before to submit an extensive report on newly promoted high army officials. The newly promoted officials were reported as pro Awami League and one the officer’s relative is a politician of Bangladesh Awami League (BAL).  

Intelligence sources has informed that R&AW has informed Sheikh Hasina that a group of Islamic terrorists who had attempted to kill her on August 21, 2004, the allies of same forces are planning to kill Hasina again.

According to the sources R&AW had claimed to Hasina that they have helped here by giving credible information of probable assassination attempt at least 5 times in last years.

Sheikh Hasina has been suggested that to win in the next parliamentary election will be really hard due to bad performance of her government and strong position of the opposition parties. 

R&AW has suggested Hasina to make notable change in top, middle and lower level in Army, police and executive level of the government. A high level official of R&AW is working on that with different attachment of DGFI and officials of NSI and different policy makers.

Hasina has suggested to bring more amendment in the constitution before the election, the draft of the amendment is on process guided by R&AW.

R&AW highly recommend assassinating Begum Khaleda Zia, who is widow of the President and former army Chief Ziaur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1981.

Begum Khaleda Zia, the longest-serving Prime Minister of Bangladesh Since the country’s independence in 1971. R&AW has trained a group of young men to kill Khaleda Zia.

The group has been trained in India and also trained by different level by Bangladesh army.

Intelligence sources have informed that they have setup people within BNP and they are keeping close eye of Khaleda Zia.The group has attempted one time  in last month to assassinate Khaleda Zia but they had failed due to wrong information.

Sheikh Hasina shared with R&Aw that she will fully cooperate with them to make sure the assassination of Begum Zia. She wants to make sure the revenge of her father’s killing by killing Begum Zia.

AUTHOR: William Nicholas Gomes
URL: www.williamgomes.org
E-MAIL: williamgomes.org [at] gmail.com

Ncell an international telecom organization partner of Teliasonera has been proved guilty of fraud billing and scamming by Revenue law court of Nepal. According to the court on Mar 1 2012, Ncell paid the tax of only $168,000 through invoice number 7208319068 instead of $721,543 producing the back dated invoice during the tax clearance through invoice number 7208409778. The international partner scammed $552,710 on imported goods where time and again the organization has been in controversy.

With the fraud case proven the Tribhuvan International custom office has charge 200% fine which was NRs 5.5 million. Ncell has been defending the case to be human error but Ncell being the top most company and making public believe of its quality is now highly questionable.

AUTHOR: Shreedeep Rayamajhi
URL: http://www.rayznews.com
E-MAIL: weaker41 [at] gmail.com

What a joke? Even to register a case you have to pay money

Shocking and amazing thing is our constitution gives us the right to write an application but the Nepal Police administration fails to realize this. They want a formatted application from the “lekhandas”
and it doesn’t matter who or what you are but the format matters.

Why should I go to the lekhandas when I’m an educated man and I can write my own application? My constitution gives me the full right to write an application. My question is why……….?

Just imagine being an education man, what would a poor and uneducated man do in this case? It’s completely absurd that for a poor man who has been hammered on with a treachery is asked to pay money to report a case. Is that what we call service and is it fair?

Another shocking thing is, if you write a complaint then the first thing for any application in a government wing is to be registered. But especially in the Nepal Police Administration they do not register the case. They just accept it and fail to give you a registration number.

What can we expect from an administration that fails to realize the importance of service? It’s a small thing but it has a great impact.

“The country is not ruled by big policies but its ruled by empowering public, when the public feels secured and feasible that’s when development starts or else it’s just a matter of numbers and hypocrisy.”

AUTHOR: Shreedeep Rayamajhi
URL: http://www.rayznews.com
E-MAIL: weaker41 [at] gmail.com

AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam (right) shows token of love from FIFA Goal Project before handing over to ANFA president Ganesh Thapa during inaguration program of Chyasal Technical Center at Chyasal in Lalitpur on Saturday 14.05.2005

A week back, the world was shocked by the scam and corruption charges of Mohamed bin Hammam, Chief of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). His audit report showed embezzlement of hundreds of millions of dollars from the AFC official bank account where the name of All Nepal Football Association (ANFA )President Ganesh Thapa was also mixed with the scam.

The most intriguing thing is having all the proof nothing has been done to ANFA President Ganesh Thapa till date.

Associated Press directly quotes, “Gaurav Thapa, whose father heads the Nepalese federation, received $100,000 while a Filipino football official Jose Mari Martinez received $60,000 and had $11,226 in hospital expenses paid. Another $50,000 went to an East Timorese football official Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, the audit found.”

ANFA president Ganesh Thapa has been charged with misappropriation of funds in the past but was given a free pass by the government.

With huge allegation and rumors Ganesh Thapa made public a public statement in Avenues Television saying, “ Bin Hammam used to be a close friend, I borrowed the money from him. This was in 2009. The matter was settled in 2010/11.”

It’s a form of corruption which cannot be ignored, the position he holds and his responsibilities are immense to the job and future of Nepalese FOOTBALL industry.

Football in Nepal is related to national pride, how a person with such an image can be related with a field? How can he be given the responsibility of managing the dreams of millions?

How can we trust him to lead the national pride and what can we expect?

AUTHOR: Shreedeep Rayamajhi
URL: http://www.rayznews.com
E-MAIL: weaker41 [at] gmail.com

I wondering how the home minister can the facts that human rights watch has publish in report “The Fear Never Leaves Me” as international conspiracy.

Advocate Shahara Khatun, the minister for home affairs is very well known for twisting the truths. In this event when the truths in limited level are exposed the minister came up with her false version calming the reports as international conspiracy.

In reality the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles revolt which was staged on 25 and 26 February 2009 in Dhaka by a section of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), was a result a total failure of ruling Awami League government.

I was following the whole events with my contacts inside of the country and outside of the country, I was informed that just before the mutiny held a high profile team of India’s external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) came to Bangladesh and they have also informed what is going to happen to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

 It is Prime Minister Seikh Hasina and his government is involved in conspiracy against the people of Bangladesh.R&AW officials gave assurance to prime minister that all the things will be under control and if the some military officials are controlled in proper way, she would be killed like her father. So it is very much needed to deal the armed officials in proper manner.

A high official of R&AW during his stay in Dhaka during the mutiny meet with me, while sharing some viewpoints she told me what is going inside. She told me that R&AW have guided they prime minister directly and R&AW officials from Delhi and officers in Dhaka directly guiding Prime Minister Hasina to deal with the crisis.

During the meeting on the second day of mutiny the R&AW official told me that the law enforcement officials from the part of Bangladesh are operating under the direct guidance of R&AW.

I was really wondered what I have heard on that meeting , I wonder when prime minister of country take decision based on the guidance of Delhi and take actions based on the reports of R&AW , whether the prime minister has any ability or legitimate reasons to continue on her position.

The aftermath of the mutiny was more dangerous. More international intelligence get involved and the situations get worse. But the truth which was not exposed in media, should be exposed today.

Through my sources inside the Pilkhana , I was getting regular information regarding the inhuman torture, the BDR mutineers were facing.

One of the sources within the law enforcement  were describing the way of torture, the army officials were making naked the mutineers and tied them up and interrogating the and forcing them to speak up. If anyone denied talking they use push on the nails of hand and leg hardly and if even after that if they were not speaking out with the rifle the army officials were heating on the penis. The sources within the law enforcement agencies were saying that we used to torture but we never saw this type of inhuman way of torture.

The beating, using of electric shock were very common practice.

I was in touch with my friend in R&AW , she told me that your prime minister is a brainless idiot, who is really a back boneless , that is why we need to come and guide her, she is doing all these things to save her and her government not to save the nation or army officials.

She told me Prime Minister Hasina has laughed when she heard that army officials   were killed and she said “Allah has done her judgment, some army officials killed my father and now they are killings themselves”. Let them die and I will enjoy while they die.

With the direct help of R&AW many of the BDR mutineers were illegally arrested and detained and tortured in different cantonments in the country and they were killed and many of them officially remain missing. The mutineers who are claimed to be missing were killed by army officials due extreme torture during illegal detention. Their family member will never find out their bodies.

In absence of rule of law and democracy, the in the name of mutiny Trials the mockery of justice is going on within the country. The day will come when Sheikh Hasina will bring under the law. If that is not going to happen she will be get killed worse than her father dictators Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Now time will say , which way justice will come up , by the barrels of gun of proper peaceful restoration of rule of law and democracy in the country .

AUTHOR: William Nicholas Gomes
URL: www.williamgomes.org
E-MAIL: williamgomes.org [at] gmail.com

The fight against corruption got a shot in the arm when the former BJP president Bangaru Laxman was convicted under anti-corruption law for accepting bribe and was sent to Tihar jail.

It’s for the first time that a politician was convicted in corruption case. The court awarded Laxman four years jail term and imposed a fine of Rs one lakh.

The conviction of former BJP President revives memories of NDA’s rule under the premiership of Atal Behari Vajpayee, This scandal claimed then defence minister George Fernandez besides Laxman.

Laxman caught the attention of the nation, as the then BJP president, when he was shown on the TV channels putting bundles of cash away in his drawer.

It took 11 long years for the law enforcing authorities to finally nail him down and also convict him under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The sting operation conducted by then Theleka dotcom was amazing. It sent a decoy representing a fictitious arms firm to make a deal with Laxman.

As apart of the deal, the BJP President would recommend to the Defence Ministry to give this firm a contract for supplying “thermal binoculars” to the Army.

The decoy gave Laxman, a bribe of Rs 1 lakh in bundles of .currency notes that he accepted and kept it in his drawer. This act was recoded on camera and subsequently flashed on the TV channels.

The unpleasant visuals unleashed a political storm and took away the sheen from the Vajpayee government that claimed to represent a party with a ‘difference’.

The Special CBI judge held that the 72-year-old Laxman was guilty under the under the Prevention of Corruption Act and instead of giving him a maximum of five years in jail limited to four for accepting bribe.

Laxman, had moved the High Court, after spending ten days in Tihar jail seeking quashing of the trial court’s conviction on medical grounds. But the Delhi High Court refused to suspend the sentence.

With this conviction Laxman earned the dubious distinction of being the first politician to be arrested under the graft charges and sent to jail.

There are two facets of it, one that the convict belonged to the BJP, the party that claimed to be moral and cultural upholder of Indian nation.

The second, Laxman is a Madiga Dalit from Andhra Pradesh and to many his conviction is another Brahminical conspiracy to use and abuse a Dalit.

Nonetheless, the conviction of Laxman comes as a setback to BJP at a time when it is targeting the Congress over graft scandals.

Will similar kind of judgment would come in spectrum cases, that’s what is being anxiously watched.

AUTHOR: Mujtaba Syed
URL: http://mujtabas-musings.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: syedalimujtaba [at] yahoo.com