It’s a matter of time for the vampire republic and oppressive dictatorship to be ended by the frustrated poor, unemployed and hopeless youths through non-violent protests though it’s a wrong route for the country, because it results into loss of lives and property and the country can go back to zero. Vampire elites in the ruling regime are to blame, they change country’s affairs and assets into a family patronage real estate operated with impunity, arrogant and with no respect of others who exhibit divergent political opinions, and we must extensively engage our leaders in political dialogue for reconciliation or national unity in order to have sustainable development
The real characteristics of vampire states are described as follows; the opposition parties are given little political space to operate; key opposition leaders are arrested, intimidated, or even killed. Journalists, editors, and writers are harassed, intimidated and jailed. Newspapers, radio and television stations that are critical on government policies are shutdown. Street demonstrations or protests are disrupted with batons, water cannons, tear gas, and even gunfire. Opponents of the regime are detained without trial, disappearances and murders are common; freedom of expression, movement and assembly are nonexistent.
Anyone who gets into leadership ends up with way more than he had before, while the poor and working class are the ones always left behind. Dishonesty, thievery and embezzlement pervade the public sector. Public servants embezzle state funds, and high-ranking ministers are on the take. Government then becomes irrelevant to the people. One is poor if one does not belong to that charmed circle. The richest people in Africa and many Third World Countries are the ruling vampire elites and government ministers. And quite often, the chief bandit is the head of state himself.
The vampire state, infused with the arrogance of power, hardens into a banana republic and provokes a rebellion – for the example in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. In a banana republic, the rule of law is a farce; bandits are in charge as their victims spent nights, days, weeks, months or even years in jail. The police and security forces protect the ruling vampire elites not the people. The dictator forces everyone to listen to his hours-long tirades but dozes off when he listens to them himself.
Banana Security Forces in banana republic, the police are scarcely professional. The world knows how brutally these people in uniform treat the opposition or whoever criticizes the dictatorship. Banana Elections are essentially farcical elections in which the incumbent writes the rules and then serves as a player, the referee, and the goalkeeper. The opposition candidates are denied access to the state-controlled media, and brutalized by government-hired thugs as the police watch. The electoral commission is in the pocket of the ruling party, as are the judges who might settle any electoral disputes.
Ballot papers do not arrive on time, inducing frustrated opposition supporters to leave polling stations. Ballot boxes may eventually arrive but are pre-ticked & stuffed with votes for the incumbent. Ghana’s 1996 elections, where Major Emmanuel Erskine, a challenger to the brutal regime of Late Jerry Rawlings did not even get one single vote in his own constituency and his wife and four children did not vote for him. After he complained bitterly about the rigging, the electoral commission tossed six votes his way.
The vampire elites privatize inefficient state enterprises and they will sell the companies to themselves and their cronies at fire-sale prices for example in Egypt under Hosni Mubarak, The Mubarak era will be known in the history of Egypt as the era of thievery. Ask them to develop their economies and they will develop their pockets. Ask them to seek foreign investment and they will seek a foreign country in which to invest their loot and you are free to replace Egypt with any country of your choice.
From the chronological description of the vampire regimes the ordinary people can topple any regime when they get together and Dr. Kizza Besigye knows it better because the president Museveni’s regime was almost overwhelmed by the demonstrations of walk to work in 2011 and the regime was saved by the mighty loyal cadres like Gen. Kale Kayihura, late Felix Kaweesi and the group. I have chosen to convey most of this information not with dry facts or dense theories but by simply telling stories of remarkable individuals and movements that eventually toppled dictators.
Milosevic, the former dictator of Serbia was so furious. In 1996, he refused to accept the results of the Parliamentary elections that would have unseated many of his goons and replaced them with members of the opposition, and when activists took to the streets to demonstrate, they were crushed by Milosevic’s police. In 1998, people decided to start a non-violent movement not only because they believed strongly in peaceful resolutions, but because trying to use force against a guy who had tens of thousands of policemen, hundreds of thousands of soldiers would be a poor strategy.
His opponents publicized this simple slogan, “He’s finished,” was enough to get everyone who wanted a future without Milosevic to join their side, and it allowed them to maintain a sharp focus on “him” despite all the other things that different interest groups also wanted to achieve and eventually Milosevic was overwhelmed and defeated.
It’s hard to convince people that the best way to overthrow a dictatorship is through nonviolent action, but Mubarak in Egypt and Ben Ali in Tunisia are the current practical examples of the overthrown regimes by the civilians. President Museveni promised the population that he will end the opposition in Uganda and below is the best strategy Mzee Museveni is using to end the existence of opposition.
Unity is tricky – It’s not only one of the most important elements of successful nonviolent actions but also the hardest to achieve. The nature of oppressive regimes like in Hosni Mubarak’s Egypt where gathering of more than five people was considered illegal, which made the foundation of a civic society. Uganda borrowed a leaf from Egypt and implemented such a draconian law and you can ask Amama Mbabazi, the former prime minister of Uganda and presidential candidate.
It’s common for people launching nonviolent movements to quote Late Martin Luther King Jr and other freedom fighters as their inspiration – but if you’re hoping to get a mass movement within a very short span of time in the age of the internet and other distractions, humor is a key strategy. Mobilizing the masses requires one to touch common pressing issues.
Abstract ideals can mobilize a few like-minded revolutionary souls, but Late Gandhi needed an entire country. For that, he would find something concrete. He needed to champion a cause that was so simple and so uncontroversial that every Indian felt, regardless of politics
And in 1930, Gandhi found his answer: salt. At the time, the British were taxing salt production in India; the British were reluctant to use their mighty military to suppress a peaceful protest over a biological necessity. Non-violent protests can end the dictatorship! The writer is Eng. Godfrey Mbagira,founder of GOAM Youth voice Uganda & socio-political activist.
