Government slams human rights report

The Ugandan government has described a report by Human Rights Watch, which accused it of suppressing political activity, as “illogical and under-researched”. Uganda’s Senior Presidential Adviser in charge of Media and Public Relations John Nagenda told IRIN on Monday the author of the report, Peter Bouchaert, “did not conduct a serious or thorough research and based his arguments on personal feelings”. In its report issued last week, HRW charged that “government harassment and discriminatory legislation” were suppressing independent political activity in Uganda. It said President Yoweri Museveni and his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) were likely to “entrench this restrictive system even further” in a referendum on political pluralism scheduled for June 2000. “We are very disappointed with the report and think it is irrelevant,” Nagenda said. “He [Bouchaert] has created a terrible picture by saying the country is hostile to democracy.” “In his report, he defines true democracy as rule by the majority for popular sovereignty, and that is exactly how Uganda has run its affairs in choosing its leadership and writing its constitution,” Nagenda said. “If he does not like the constitution then he should confer with the relevant authorities to have it changed. But it is insulting for him to think that Ugandans should change their constitution to suit the Human Rights Watch.” Another government official blamed human rights lobbyists in general for “never knowing the needs of the people”. “They do not realise that poor people cannot be democratic,” he told IRIN. “The poor will vote for the person who gives them material satisfaction rather than the most qualified.” He said the Ugandan government had concentrated on bringing the basics to its citizens, “rather than allowing the culture of clinging onto politicians to take root in the country”. “In utopia, we all want the best,” Nagenda added. “It is something which cannot be realised. This report is really weird.”