Gen Salim Saleh's Consociational Proposal Sparks Debate on Uganda's Constitutional Future

Gen Salim Saleh's recent proposal for a consociational government has sparked a national debate on Uganda's constitutional future. The proposal, which aims to promote national reconciliation and cohesion, has been described as a well-intentioned and timely intervention in Uganda's national reconciliation journey. According to Barrister Peter Magomu Mashate, the proposal is a big step towards promoting national cohesion and should be viewed as a transitional bridge rather than a familiar trap.

The concept of consociational democracy, developed by political scientist Arend Lijphart, is predominantly applicable in situations of internal strife and violent political and military disagreements. However, Uganda has enjoyed 40 years of stability under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the 1995 constitution, which has been reinforced by constitutional amendments allowing for multi-party democracy. The question arises as to whether Uganda's current constitutional provisions and political structures can accommodate a consociational model, and if not, what constitutional amendments would be necessary.

Barrister Mashate notes that Uganda's independence constitution was codified from British governance conventions, which were hammered out at Lancaster House in London. He argues that the country's constitutional developments and bottlenecks since independence must be considered in evaluating Gen Saleh's proposal. The proposal cannot be examined in isolation from Uganda's history, including the Uganda Protectorate of 1894 and the Imperial British East Africa Company.

The core vulnerability of early post-colonial African states, including Uganda, was the failure to acknowledge that rules alone cannot create a nation; rather, a nation must collectively agree on its rules. The ghost of top-down political engineering reveals that elite-driven constitutional design without grassroots consensus can fail. The 1962 Westminster model and the 1970s ideological experiment of President Milton Obote demonstrate this lesson.

The 1995 Constitution was born out of an extensive consultative process aimed at addressing the failures of previous constitutional models. However, subsequent amendments, including the removal of presidential term limits and age limits, have demonstrated that the framework remains vulnerable to elite national interest considerations. While these amendments were necessary in exceptional circumstances, they reflect a familiar international constitutional pattern.

Barrister Mashate argues that Gen Saleh's proposal must be evaluated in the context of Uganda's constitutional developments and bottlenecks since independence. He notes that the country's modern Uganda emerges from traditional and cultural structures that many elite politicians and oligarchs identify with, depending on the political and socio-economic balance of convenience of contemporary times.

The debate on Gen Saleh's proposal raises questions about the potential for a consociational model to promote national reconciliation and cohesion in Uganda. While some view the proposal as a timely intervention, others argue that it may not be suitable for Uganda's current context. The proposal's success would depend on various factors, including the level of national consensus and the ability to address the country's historical and cultural divisions.

Key points

• Gen Salim Saleh's proposal for a consociational government aims to promote national reconciliation and cohesion in Uganda.
• The proposal sparks debate on Uganda's constitutional future and its potential to accommodate a consociational model.
• The success of the proposal would depend on various factors, including national consensus and the ability to address historical and cultural divisions.