Opinion: Beyond Politics of Identity: The NRM Revolutionary Mindset should never die

In recent times, I have noted with concern the need for unity as a linchpin to social economic development, and undoubtedly to help address geopolitical concerns.

This has been, and I believe will forever be a revolutionary mindset of the NRM party. The NRM spirit that keeps the NRM values alive. However there’s need to sow this mindset at an alarming speed, to first,new party leaders,and then other members lest the revolutionary spirit ceases to exist.

This is because of the missing cohesiveness in the society,which is fragmented and divided,where people who feel no sense of shared purpose are less likely to produce responsible and properly adjusted citizens.

Per the values of the NRM party,unity is over emphasized and the onus is on the leadership of the party to police her members, and ensure that the glory times of the NRM party stay. This requires them to bring about party cohesiveness by shunning politics of divisionism predicated on religion,tribe, social class,which more often than not have served to downplay the party’s strength.  We are short of goodwill from our elite, mostly NRM politicians,who’re  otherwise supposed to engender a spirit of Pan Africanism, patriotism, strengthen party cohesion at every level and finally end the widening schism between NRM party leaders.

Their other pivotal role today,more than ever,is to produce, identify,nurture and shape new leaders and members,young and old,to strengthen the party for future generations. It’s shameful that most party leaders have taken different directions. Intrigue,some leaders in the party choose to become authoritarian for their personal interests against the interests of the NRM party and the people  and many other blunders. But this is dangerous,for a party whose foundation sits on the sweat,tears and blood of revolutionary men and women,who would never wish to see their efforts end in vain, because of selfish interests of some individuals.

Whereas the NRM party has provided a foundation for nearly four decades of regime stability,other political parties in some other countries have collapsed quickly in the face of simple challenges. The challenges are on table,and should be sorted as soon as possible.

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s when the economic crisis and the end of the Cold War challenged regimes across the world,the ruling parties that possessed cohesive mass organisations,as in Cuba, Malaysia and Vietnam often survived. Where ruling parties lacked necessary cohesion,as in Madagascar, Senegal and Zambia, economic crises or opposition challenges triggered elite defections and ,in many cases, such regimes collapsed.

A lesson for some NRM party leaders and other parties in Africa,that having majority support won’t matter per se,but character of the party.Some elements, characters shouldn’t be tolerated in the party.

Party durability or the party’s capacity to survive during the crisis,is distinct from stability or duration of power. Even weak regimes may survive for years if they aren’t seriously challenged. The NRM party has sailed well,most recently during COVID-19 and the Russia- Ukraine war that has caused an economic crisis. The revolutionary setting within our elderly leaders has propelled NRM this far,and this candle shouldn’t burnout  because of new excited faces that are emerging, taking over the leadership of the NRM party.

The end of the Cold War saw the demise of several Leninist regimes,those that survived were most invariably based on patronage. Indeed, only communist regimes persisted after the collapse of the Soviet Union-China, Cuba,Laos, North Korea and Vietnam- were all led by veterans of violent revolutionary struggle with a revolutionary mindset.

The identities,norms and organisational structures formed during the periods of sustained, violent and ideologically driven conflict were/are critical sources of cohesion for the NRM party,and that is why the NRM has lasted for this long.

Our revolutionary party (NRM) provided leaders with non-material resources that are critical to maintaining unity and discipline.

To this effect, personal interests, politics of Identity should be denounced by members of the NRM party. And this message,like President Yoweri Museveni has always noted, should be embraced by our leaders . The NRM values shouldn’t die with revolutionary leaders. Only ideological leaders will push Uganda further. NRM ideology clinics should be hard on some party leaders to maintain the status quo and rescue the sinking ship.