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Education copy: Welcome
Political Conference

Political System of the Republic of Uganda

What has politics to do with your business?

Politics itself touches every imaginable part of your everyday and not so everyday life. International politics shape regulations about import and export. Social policies shape regulations and benefits for your employers in Uganda.

I. e. any kind of homosexual activity is illegal, mainly because of the national conservative leading party. Staying on track with current developments helps you to foresee changes and to not be overwhelmed by parliaments' decisions.

The president

President Museveni was re-elected in 2021 till 2025 and is now being in office since 1986. *A sign of a democracy is a peaceful power shift.* He is part of the National Resistance Movement.

 

His main contestant during the elections was Bobi Wine, who was arrested during campaigning to weaken the opposition (weakening the opposition is a quite common tool of the government). More information about the irregularities of the election from the viewpoint of Wine can be found in this interview.

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The parliament 

It consists out of 426 representatives including 30 people from special interest groups like the army, young, elderly, disabled and workers. Everyone from the age of up to 18 years is allowed to vote (officially). In 2005 the multi-party system was brought back through an overwhelming clear referendum result.

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  • Restrictive party registration requirements

  •  Ban of campaign rallied (due to Corona) 2020, ruling party members were unofficially allowed to campaign

  • Lack of access to state media coverage for new parties 

  • Lacking representation of small ethnic groups, women

Separation of power 

​Like the German political system there is a separation of power within the leading political organs.

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Sadly, this is just theory. In reality, the power segments are heavily intertwined especially because of the huge power of the president.

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Museveni removed presidential age limit of 75.

Criticism 

Anything that seems to work well?

  • No state religion/ not really suppression

  • Private speech relatively free (although there is now a new social media tax 0.05$ a day)

  • Law prohibits discrimination of any kind (but as we already know this doesn´t count for LGBT+ and the equality for women regarding employment)

  • Freedom of movement

  • Freedom of press (apart from incidents where journalists were assaulted in 2020)

  • Open-minded towards refugees

  • Academic freedom: surveillance of university lectures

  • Police brutality: Bobi Wine reports from rape, violence, torture, abuse in prison

  • International NGOs: office break-ins, registration

  • Prison conditions: three times its intended capacity

  • Land disputes, forced evictions, local customs make it difficult for women to obtain land

  • Domestic violence, underage marriage, child labor, sexual exploitation of minors

  • Good campaign against AIDS

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