Fatoumatta: Here is how liberators and democrats morph into despots and lunatics:
This is how liberators and democrats can transform into despots and tyrants. Yoweri Museveni has held the presidency of Uganda since 1986, having been elected for six terms. He took office on January 26, 1986, and has been re-elected following a number of constitutional amendments. His latest electoral win was on January 16, 2021, which granted him a sixth term. As of this posting, Uganda is under the control of a dictator who has eliminated all opposition to his extended rule of 38 years. Museveni’s administration managed to have the parliament abolish the presidential age limit, enabling him to run for office again at the age of 79. This is significant, particularly when considering that Paul Biya has been the President of Cameroon since 1982, Teodoro Mbasogo has led Equatorial Guinea since 1979, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara and Yahya Jammeh collectively governed The Gambia for 52 years, Denis Sassou Nguesso has been in power in Congo since 1997, and Paul Kagame, once favored by Western media, has maintained a firm grip on power, controlling all state institutions for over twenty years. Kagame has held the position of President of Rwanda since 2000, beginning his tenure on April 22, 2000. The original Rwandan Constitution permitted only two presidential terms. However, following a constitutional referendum in 2015, Kagame was granted the opportunity to serve a third seven-year term, with the option for two additional five-year terms. Consequently, he is currently in his third term, with the possibility of remaining in office until 2034 if re-elected.
Both the old 1970 constitution and the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia do not establish presidential term limits, allowing an incumbent to potentially serve an unlimited number of terms. This has been a distinctive aspect of The Gambia’s political system, and the country remains one of the few in West Africa without such limits. However, The Gambia has demonstrated to the world how to peacefully remove an entrenched malevolent dictator through the ballot box in a free, fair, accessible, and transparent election.
There is nothing inherently wrong with a long tenure in power as long as it does not involve breaking down or undermining state institutions. However, once one begins to manipulate established electoral processes and rig the system for personal advantage, imposing oneself on a populace that no longer desires their service, it ceases to be a democracy. This approach is reminiscent of Museveni’s tactics and represents what Trump might have become if faced with institutions similar to those in Uganda. Therefore, the concern should not be that America is as dysfunctional as Uganda or The Gambia, but rather the absence of an elite pact to maintain an oppressor in power.
