Revolutions occur when the people (ruled) or their representatives demand basic changes in their governance relationships with the rulers. Revolutions can be bloodless like the Glorious (peaceful) Revolution of 1688 in England or bloody like the French Revolution of 1789-1799. Revolutions reflect deep-seated and long-held grievances by the public against their leaders. Revolutions occur when these grievances reach a boiling point. Has Uganda reached that point?
Before examining conditions for a revolution in Uganda let us quickly review conditions and steps taken in England and France to effect fundamental changes – Revolutions – in the relations between the rulers and the ruled.
In England, conditions that led to the revolution of 1688 started with James I who had been king of Scotland. He became king of England in 1603 following the death of Queen Elizabeth I from the Tudor family. James was a member of the Stuart family. The Stuart kings (James I, Charles I, Charles II and James II) ruled England from 1603 to 1689. Parliament conflicted with Stuart kings, fought them and limited their powers for many reasons including the fact that James I had been king of Scotland and therefore a foreigner as king of England.
James I and Charles I wanted to rule with absolute authority and divine right of kings. They also wanted to impose taxes without parliament’s consent and deny English people their basic rights. An attempt by Charles I to arrest members of parliament triggered a civil war and his execution in 1649.
King Charles II was restored in 1625 and agreed to share power with parliament to avoid what happened to Charles I. Under Charles II’s reign steps were taken to protect individual rights through Habeas Corpus, including pardoning many of his former enemies. He created in 1662 the Royal Society of London for pursuit of science, mathematics and technology including by Isaac Newton. He also promoted the arts, music and painting. Thus, Charles II’s reign following a bloody civil war between parliament and Charles 1 was marked by basic changes: limited monarchy, habeas corpus, emergence of political parties (Tories and Whigs) and the growth of democracy.
A combination of James’ Catholicism and birth of a son by a Catholic wife and James’ belief in restoration of absolute monarchy created a conflict between him and parliament. Parliament decided to end the struggle by inviting James’ Protestant daughter Mary and her Protestant husband William of Orange to become joint king and Queen of England. They came with an army ready to fight James. The latter chose not to fight and fled to France and a bloodless Glorious Revolution occurred in 1688.
The Glorious Revolution ended absolute monarchy in England forever. A limited monarchy became a permanent form of government. In 1689 the English Bill of Rights made it clear that parliament would have more power than the kings and queens of England.
The English Revolution was realized through struggle between people’s representatives (parliament) and Stuart kings.
In France, as in England, there were deep-seated and long-held grievances by commoners against the privileged higher clergy, king and the nobility. Politically, the kings abused their powers. Using absolute power, kings ordered arrest of anyone on any charge, held secret trials without juries. Economically, the unfair system of taxation and other charges disproportionately and adversely impacted the third estate of middle and lower class – the commoners. Members of the first (clergy) and second (nobility) estates were exempt from all taxes. Socially, there were blatant inequalities in French society. The higher clergy and the nobility that did not pay taxes enjoyed all the privileges and luxuries paid for largely by commoners’ taxes. The commoners were restricted in church and government employment. They had no say in policies that affected their lives.
Thus, the old (ancien) regime in France was characterized by inequality in favor of higher clergy and nobility, injustice and abuse of human rights suffered by the commoners who constituted up to 98 percent of France’s 25 million people.
In 1789 when the Estates General (parliament) met to discuss new taxes, France had reached a boiling point. Instead of debating new taxes, the commoners formed a National Assembly to draft a new constitution that would end absolute monarchy and privileges enjoyed by the higher clergy and nobility and give more rights to the ordinary people. At that time, France was going through hard times including food shortages, rising food prices and high unemployment. Most French people supported the aims of the National Assembly.
Threats by the king to arrest leaders of the National Assembly triggered spontaneous riots throughout France – in towns and countryside. The government broke down and the king was forced to accept the revolutionary government led by commoners in the National Assembly.
So, where does Uganda of Museveni stand vis-à-vis England of the Stuarts and France of the Louis? Since 1971 Uganda has been ruled with a substantial involvement of foreigners that has shaped Uganda’s political economy. Uganda has a president who has ruled for 25 years with an iron fist similar to absolute powers exercised by James I and Charles I of England and Louis XIV, XV and XVI of France. Uganda’s first family, relatives, friends and in-laws have enjoyed excessive privileges and luxuries on the backs of Uganda commoners as the higher clergy and nobility did in France on the backs of commoners in the Third Estate. The wide divide between the haves and the have-nots in Uganda cannot get wider.
To end political, economic and social inequalities in England and France there was a showdown between kings and parliament in England and between the king Louis XVI and the National Assembly in France. There was a civil war in England that paved the way for a Glorious Revolution. It resulted in a limited monarchy, stronger parliament and restoration of human rights and growth of democracy.
In France, there was a revolutionary struggle that ended the monarchy and privileges and luxuries for the higher clergy and nobility. There was a new constitution and Bill of Rights that restored to France inter alia basic rights of speech, religion and the press. It guaranteed the right of French people to participate in government through freely elected representatives. These rights were compressed into liberty, equality and fraternity.
The failed Uganda’s February 2011 elections have raised Uganda’s political, economic and social temperature to a boiling point. The people of Uganda should not let this moment for revolutionary change pass. The Glorious (peaceful) Revolution is at hand provided the opposition leaders do not betray the will of the people through shoddy deals with NRM and call off or embark on half-hearted peaceful demonstrations.