Leaders must respect constitutional term limits for true democracy

Last week, President Yoweri Museveni was sworn into office for the fifth time, extending his stay in power beyond the current 30 years. 

His security agencies have put measures in place in the aftermath of the elections to counter protests planned by his political opponents who continue to contest the results of the February presidential and parliamentary elections, citing voting irregularities. 

The extension of President Museveni's mandate places him among a growing list of African leaders who have stayed in power for more than three decades.

It also sheds light on a major trend in Africa in which presidents ignore term limits and revise their constitutions to entrench their stay in power. 

As African leaders return home from the inauguration ceremony in Kampala, the key question for Uganda is, what does the re-election of Museveni mean for the country's supposed democracy and respect for human rights? 

Stringent restrictions imposed by the authorities on the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association in the period leading to, during and after the February elections provide an indication of what the future (at least the next five years) holds for Uganda.

In the months leading up to the elections, the authorities curtailed the ability of members of the opposition, journalists and civil society to engage in open debates on politically sensitive issues like corruption, unemployment, rising costs of living, human rights violations and succession to the presidency. 

Journalists were physically assaulted and in extreme cases shot, for covering rallies and meetings of members of the political opposition and scuffles between security agents and citizens. More than 40 journalists were subjected to arbitrary detentions, assault, harassment or intimidation while covering rallies and campaigns related to the elections.

Independent radio stations that broadcast views contrary to those of the government were targeted, some were shut down and journalists were detained. For example on January 20 2016, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) suspended the licence of independent radio Endigyito FM and seized the station's equipment after it broadcast an interview with a leading opposition candidate.

Earlier, on October 15 2015, police shot and injured Radio One correspondent Ivan Vincent as he covered between supporters of the leading opposition candidate Kizza Besigye and the police.

On February 18 2016, on election day, the Ugandan authorities blocked access to the internet preventing citizens from using social media including Facebook, Twitter and other communication platforms. Defending the ban, the president noted that it was a security measure aimed at averting lies aimed at "inciting violence and illegal declaration of the results". The ban was only lifted on February 21 2016 after the elections. In the immediate aftermath of the ban, the government proposed  the Communications Amendment Bill which seeks to amend provisions of Uganda)  to grant government officials wide ranging powers to impose restrictions on communications services and curtail online freedoms.

Aside from attacks on the media and journalists, the government also recently enacted a perilous NGO Act which allows the government to arbitrarily cancel the permit of a civil society organisation which it deems "prejudicial to Uganda's security, unity and dignity". 

Violators are to be punished with a fine or three years in prison. The Act will be used to selectively target organisations that work on issues considered sensitive by the government and restrict their ability to hold the government accountable for its actions.

Such restrictions in Uganda mirror similar attacks on independent civil society and media elsewhere in Africa, including:

  Angola's President José Eduardo dos Santos, Africa's second longest serving sitting president (since 1979), The Angolan regime has for decades clamped down on those calling for reforms and recently handed harsh sentences to 17 activists for simply having discussions on a book about democracy.

    In Equatorial Guinea, Africa's longest serving current leader President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (since 1979) was handed another seven year-term in office following elections in April 2016 which were preceded by sustained attacks on civil society, the independent media and government critics. 

    Swaziland's King Mswati III, who has ruled the Kingdom since 1986 has successfully closed down all spaces for political participation and targets those who criticise him and the government. 

    Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe has been in power since 1980 and has a history of terrorising and killing his political opponents, and has recently put restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly, using old laws that are inconsistent with the new constitution.

    Burundi has been in a humanitarian crisis since protests began in April 2015 after President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would stand for an unconstitutional third term in office.  The government has systematically targeted anyone perceived to be against the third term mandate. And according to Amnesty International since the outset of the political crisis, more than 474 people have been killed, at least 4951 arrested and more than 260,085 have fled to neighbouring countries.  

    The DRC is facing a political crisis since President Joseph Kabila announced proposed changes in the constitution and plans to organise a referendum to determine if he will continue in power against constitutionally agreed term limits. Human rights defenders and real and perceived opponents have been targeted since January 2015 and the government has responded with violence to repress peaceful protests. 

For these countries to experience true democracy, constitutional term limits must be respected and the rights of citizens to assembly associate and express themselves freely should be the foundation of governance.