With just about 14 months away to the 2011 general elections, some donors are contemplating a possible power-sharing deal between President Museveni and the opposition, if the NRM fails to secure a convincing win. This thinking has been inspired by growing fear in some European capitals that Uganda could plunge into chaos, like Kenya did in 2007, if the next presidential elections are not free and fair.
Diplomatic sources have told us this fear was galvanised by some opposition politicians who have told donor governments that they will mobilise their supporters to reject the outcome of the election in case of rigging. Not taking the threats lightly, donors have in several secret meetings implored the NRM to open a window of dialogue with the opposition to ease tension.
The October 21-24 dialogue in Ghana attended by 18 politicians representing the NRM on one hand and opposition parties on the other was intended to concretise this project which the donors have quietly been working on over the last six months or so.
The inter-party talks in Ghana were facilitated by a public policy NGO called the Institute of Economic Affairs that was founded in 1998 by Dr. Charles Mensah. It is funded mainly by Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy.
The organisers want Ugandan politicians to learn from Ghanas experience of moving from a coup-prone, unstable country to the present democratic culture that has seen the country change leaders and parties peacefully on several occasions.
Ghana has had two peaceful changes of government from the ruling party to the opposition in the last 10 years. In 2000, President Jerry Rawlings ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) handed over power to John Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after its candidate, John Atta Mills, lost the election.
Diplomatic sources have told us this fear was galvanised by some opposition politicians who have told donor governments that they will mobilise their supporters to reject the outcome of the election in case of rigging. Not taking the threats lightly, donors have in several secret meetings implored the NRM to open a window of dialogue with the opposition to ease tension.
The October 21-24 dialogue in Ghana attended by 18 politicians representing the NRM on one hand and opposition parties on the other was intended to concretise this project which the donors have quietly been working on over the last six months or so.
The inter-party talks in Ghana were facilitated by a public policy NGO called the Institute of Economic Affairs that was founded in 1998 by Dr. Charles Mensah. It is funded mainly by Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy.
The organisers want Ugandan politicians to learn from Ghanas experience of moving from a coup-prone, unstable country to the present democratic culture that has seen the country change leaders and parties peacefully on several occasions.
Ghana has had two peaceful changes of government from the ruling party to the opposition in the last 10 years. In 2000, President Jerry Rawlings ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) handed over power to John Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after its candidate, John Atta Mills, lost the election.
