A BRIEF PROFILE

NEW ORDER DEMOCRACY (NOD) was formed in 1993 by a cross section of young Ugandans at that time some in exile and the majority of others within Uganda.

When Lt. Gen. Museveni thrust his way thru’ a coup d’ tat in 1986, he was hailed as one of the ‘new breed’ leaders of Africa. There was however no offer of a theoretical framework to support the assertion that Museveni was a ‘new breed’ democrat. Lt. Gen. Museveni himself justified his coming onto the scene on the alleged failures of the previous regimes and political parties. But Lt. Gen. Museveni’s own failures have dumfounded his most loyal supporters, not least some of the Western donor countries and the Breton Woods institutions.

20 years later, Museveni has come out in his true colours: after banning multiparty politics for 20 years, ten of which he ruled absolutely without a mandate of any elections, Lt. Gen. Museveni had the new constitution amended to allow him to run yet again, altogether for the 5th term-25 years!

And yet the insurgency in the North, East and at any other time, in the West, still drags on with about 2 million people in internally displaced camps (refugees)!

The Human Rights record is worse now than at any other time in our history, according to some political pundits.

And Uganda is in the short list of the most corrupt countries in the world, according to Transparency International.

NOD Registration 2005

To all right thinking Ugandans, there was an overwhelming and compelling reason to START AFRESH, start all over again. That is to say, the new approach needed would be : NEW WINE IN A NEW BAG to begin the reconciliation process, the process of National Unity, true Democracy and observance of Human Rights and good neighbourliness, and the respect of the individual conscience! Uganda needed a completely new political organization with fresh blood to begin the healing process, and atone for the past.

And so the conscience of the people was coalesced into NOD, which I am humbled to say, I am privileged to lead since its formation in 1993. But NOD could not register for more than 10 years because Lt. Gen. Museveni had outlawed multiparty politics.

However when Lt. Gen. Museveni was compelled to accept multiparty politics in late 2005, NOD quickly resurrected its party functionaries and despite draconian conditionalities on party registration, NOD was able to duly file its papers with the Registrar - General within the stipulated deadline of April 2005.

However, the RG (read the Government) refused to issue and hand NOD its Certificate of Registration despite the fact that NOD had satisfied all the stipulated requirements according the electoral law and other governing instruments!

Furthermore, NOD was advised by the Registrar - General’s office, in a stern letter, NOT to engage in any political activity whatsoever, (including mobilizing support, rallies, campaigns, membership drive or registration, or hold party meetings, elections or caucuses etc); until the Certificate was issued!

The government further confiscated at the airport our election materials like T/Shirts, Party Jingle CDs, scarves, etc. These were only released at the close of the nomination dates!

Our Certificate of Registration was finally issued at the end of October-beginning of November 2005; and yet nomination dates for Presidential candidates was closing some 45 days later. And so of course NOD was not able to hold its party convention or carry out overt mobilization or recruitment whatsoever. NOD could not campaign at all!

It thus became impracticable for NOD to field its Members of Parliament or its Presidential candidate.

And so the government achieved its cherished goal of keeping NOD (New Wine in a New Bag for Real Change) out of the 2006 Presidential and General Elections because government knew NOD had the potential to sweep the elections on the ticket of Real Change, new beginning-a Rebirth.

And consequently therefore, only the old and tired political parties ended up competing against the incumbent Lt. Gen. Museveni’s NRM. And hence it was easy for Gen. Museveni to trounce them in a voter turnout of about 7.2 million or 68 % which was lower than the 2001 voter turnout of approximately 7.6 million or 84%. Voter apathy can be understood as frustration on the part of the people who understood that their chance for real change could not come about if the incumbent Gen. Museveni was pitted against the old traditional political parties. Despite this advantage, the people still voted out 17 of Gen. Museveni’s ministers!

2006 Presidential and General Elections

Altogether, six political parties managed to go to the polls, with one independent Presidential candidate.

1. NRM of Museveni
2. FDC of Dr. Kiiza Besigye
3. UPC of late Dr. Milton Obote
4. DP of S. Kizito
5. JEEMA and
6. CP

NOD would have been the other political party to contest the elections, with the difference being that it would have been the only and truly New Blood for Real Change which issue the people have made very clear is what they really want now.

However, since we were tactically excluded, we encouraged our supporters and would be candidates to stand as Independents, or stand on the FDC ticket of Dr. Kiiza Besigye, the party we believed we had a meeting of the minds on a number of issues and on approaches.

What is of extreme significance and of paramount importance regarding the overall results is this:-

That the Independent MPS are the largest group of MPs in the House after the ruling NRM! The candidates who refused to run under any existing party name have rightly stolen the election. These are the New Order NOD had captured!

All the other parties have been relegated some by wide margins, particularly the traditional old parties of UPC, DP and CP. Dr Kiiza Besigye’s FDC, which was expected to sweep the polls has failed to do so (possible rigging by Museveni given) because FDC does not represent a new beginning for Uganda, but it would have provided the best alternative outside of NOD. Most of its leaders are all recent former cohorts of Museveni until they fell out some few years back. And their fall out was not premised on ideological considerations, no not at all. Their differences arise mainly from approaches to the implementation of NRM doctrinaire manifesto. They accuse Gen. Museveni among other issues of not sticking to the original NRM blueprint by not making room at the top for others.

The people have thus rejected them also, in their request for REAL CHANGE. That real change the people were waiting for, is NOD-and because NOD was deliberately and unfairly cut out, the MPs stood as independents and overwhelmingly won! Uganda may be the only country anywhere in this world where Independents are the biggest single Opposition!

In other words, NOD is represented in Parliament, and the next political maneuver by NOD could be very interesting indeed! Your guess is as good as ours in NOD!

Uganda 2006 Polls: Share per party:

Composition of Uganda’s 8th Parliament

Source: The New Vision, Vol.21, No. 050 , February 28, 2006

Conclusion:

It is quite clear that the people of Uganda did not get the real change they wanted from the 2006 Elections, and that is why you have the largest number of independent MPs – a record – anywhere in the world.
Inspite of the fact that NOD was excluded from the polls, the spirit of New Order permeates the new Parliament and the country can only move in that direction if it wants to come out of its abyss and start afresh.

Therefore, NOD must prepare and continue to consolidate its position so as to give the people that opportunity for real change, a new beginning, a fresh start: NEW WINE in a NEW BAG. That’s why we need your support now. With your help, and the support of the people, NOD could and would sweep the next 2011 Elections.

Thank you,

Dr. Okiror Oumo, (Ph.D.)
CHAIRMAN-NEW ORDER DEMOCRACY