The age limit tinkering threatens to throw our country into a crisis. We can avoid it. Ugandans know the costs of war better than anyone. We invested lots of our money in drafting our Constitution. It is one of the major achievements of the NRM government. It is the basis for our democracy and governance. It should be revered. Standing the test of time is a sign of a great Constitution.
Doing the right thing does not call for deployment of our security agencies, whatsoever. It just makes all of us anxious and threatens our confidence in the motives of the people making such moves. Much as it is democratic to review and revise the constitution to meet the needs of the time, such revision must be done in the interests of the country as a whole.
The NRM as the party in leadership has the mandate to protect our Constitution.
The arguments for the removal of the age limit seem myopic. Why the proponents for the review are wrong.
They say, age restrictions is sectarian or discriminatory on the basis of age. We say to them that they are incorrect. You need standards and guidelines within which to operate so as to improve the chances of delivering quality in a sustainable manner. The law as it is gives the opportunity for Ugandans to get anyone vying for the office of the most powerful office in the land who is capable. If you give Ugandans 10 people to elect, any of such people should be great and vibrant to lead them. And this assumes a free and fair election. The fact is free and fair standard is very high to meet.
That the Constitution provides for the Vice President, Speaker of Parliament, in that order to become President in case the Office of the President falls suddenly vacant for whatever reason. And so if such people are already outside the stipulated age of 35 to 75, it leads to a crisis or a lacuna. We say that is fault argument. Working in the acting capacity of the President is not the same as acting in the capacity of the President. A caretaker administration usually have specific time frame within which to organize an election usually not more than six months, in the worst case scenario. Of course I have deliberately saved you quoting the article in the Constitution because they keep changing it often!
If there are other reasons for the change you know of, comment below so we discuss them. Great minds solve matters through discourse. For God and May Country.
