Mbabazi and Besigye at Papal mass in Uganda– the annointed ones?
While in the U.S. Pope Francis famously touched John Boehner’s hands and the obstructionist Republican Speaker of Congress wept and announced his resignation the next day.
The Pope is now visiting Uganda where he was hosted by the country’s brutal dictator of 30 years Gen. Yoweri Museveni who faces a stiff challenge to his tyranny in elections on Feb. 18, 2016.
His challengers are Dr. Kizza Besigye, who’s been the face of Ugandan opposition for almost two decades and Amama Mbabazi who until last year was prime minister and Secretary General of the ruling National Resistance Movement. Both the opposition candidates have been drawing mammoth crowds to their campaign rallies.
Besigye’s supporters, struggling peasants and urban workers, hand him cash to help fuel his campaign. On the other hand Gen. Museveni carries to his rallies sacks filled with money from the national treasury, bribing people to show up and essentially to remember to vote for him.
Gen. Museveni’s trump card is the Electoral Commission, headed by Dr. Badru Kiggundu, whose members are all hand-picked by the dictator; he has his own personal referee and linesmen.
Supporters of LGBT rights have urged the Pope to tell Gen. Museveni he was wrong to say they are “disgusting” and that they should have their blood drawn and tested to determine why they’re abnormal.
The opposition party supporters haven’t been too harassed while the Pope is in town. Who knows what happens after he departs. Recently Gen. Museveni’s police strip naked a leading opposition party member Ms. Zaina Fatuma. Gen. Museveni and his police chief Gen. Kale Kayihura never apologized.
While in Uganda maybe Pope Francis can also perform a miracle and get the dictator to agree to an independent Electoral Commission. He’s already accepted a challenge to debate the other presidential candidates.
Barring that maybe he can get the opposition leaders Dr. Besigye and Mbabazi to form a dream team by uniting all their forces.
