The Iowa Caucuses are this evening, and like all good
Iowans, we are totally obsessed with... the Ugandan national election.
Wha? As T would say, "You talkin' silly talk,
Daddy!" Yes, it is election
time here in Uganda with the national election day fast approaching on February
18. Most Americans probably have
no idea that no less than 20 African countries are also having major
presidential and/or parliamentary elections this year. Burundi's elections may have caught
your attention due to the pre- and post-election activities. Otherwise most of
our dear readers are likely oblivious to the fact that Ugandans are about to
vote for their president, members of Parliament, mayors, council members, etc.,
just as the Tanzanians recently did, the Central African Republic attempted to
do, and as Kenyans, Congolese, Ghanaians, and many others soon will.
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No space is sacred when posting campaign materials. Not small bodega-type places... |
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Not street trees... |
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Not electricity poles... |
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Not guard posts (Look closely - there are six different posters)... |
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Not even our own home, but this is sparse when compared to our neighbors. The campaigners probably felt that Hurricane may come over the wall after them. |
As Iowans, we grew up accustomed to the maelstrom of
elections with the quadrennial caucuses. And owing to either the extreme
attractiveness or political obsessions of our families, some family member or
close friend becomes a minor celebrity every four years. Eight years ago our friend Austin
Ramzy, a reporter for the New York Times Sinosphere, emailed me that he awoke
one morning in a Hong Kong hotel to video images of my mother doing her civic
duty. And Laura's brother David occasionally shows up in stock election
coverage footage on NHK (Japan's national network).
I won't get into the details of the politics of the
presidential and parliamentary races in Uganda, which occurs every 5 years. There
are main three presidential candidates - the current president, his former
prime minister, and the opposition leader (who is also the President's former
colleague-in-arms and his former personal physician). Then there are hundreds
of Members of Parliament representing not only geographical locales, but
cultural and occupational constituencies as well - Womens' MPs, Youth MPs, MPs
representing the military, etc.
Additionally, Ugandans were recently treated to their first live
presidential debate, though the President wasn't available due to a scheduling
conflict.
Needless to say, we enjoy the spectacle of democracy in
action and what a spectacle it is here.
Each party has its own colors, hand signs, and campaign posters are
plastered literally everywhere (as shown above). Added to this are the
boisterous caravans of supporters which consist of screaming groups riding
trucks blaring music through large speakers while costumed people riding boda
bodas blow on vuvuzelas. These parades block traffic at inopportune times,
making already bad traffic hundreds of times worse. This video (if it works - I tried it on Firefox and it came through) shows but a small convoy on a relatively quiet road - if not, click here (I now figured out who to create a youtube channel):
And just like citizens in the U.S., I'm pretty sure Ugandans
will be glad when it is all over, after having exercised their rights to vote.
P.S. Have no fear, updates of our non-election activities
are forthcoming...
