The July 13 near assassination of former US President and 2024 Republican candidate for re-election, Mr. Donald Trump, was an unfortunate attempt that could have upset a lot of things in the US system and had repercussions globally. The shots were fired by one Thomas Crooks at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and caught the upper part of Trump’s ear- but killed someone standing behind him.
The democratic culture and a push for a world of the free could very easily have been turned upside down. Although the motive behind the action of Crooks (such a name), who was shot on site by the Secret Service agents, is still a subject of investigation, whatever it was the act was extremist and such shouldn’t be entertained in a free world where everyone is free to choose.
Trump is a controversial figure whose presence on the political scene and on the international stage as a leader has sent ripples. Nevertheless, that doesn’t justify trying to kill him for his views or for seeking to lead the country again. America is polarised, like much of the rest of the world, and any unscrupulous action could spark off a situation whose trajectory would be difficult to predict or manage. Resorting to assassination of opponents or those one doesn’t agree with or find appealing is not for this century and has no place in a civilised world.
Violence and hate language have no place in modern democratic world. Expression of displeasure or concern should be done using civil avenues where engagement and discussion is the ideal modus operandi. That’s one benefit that democracy engenders, but not one youngster coming forth to try and determine the course of history by eliminating a contender for the benefit of others. Hopefully, Crooks was only acting momentarily without a deepseated “political” cause, in which case there would be a possibility that he had a network working with or behind him. That syndicate could still make other attempts and on different targets with a purpose to set America on fire.
America has a gun misuse problem, and on a number of occasions- which I won’t name individually- has witnessed mass shootings in schools, places of worship and public places. Again, while these may not be “political”, they are extremist acts which make the absence of war on the American mainland a paper concept. We pray for America to overcome these challenges to her democracy and national stability and hope that the oncoming elections are civil and satisfactory, reflecting the absolute will of the American people.
While thinking about these things, I reconnect to our Uganda and our young democracy and the challenges we have faced together and surmounted. The Western world usually ranks our elections as either “not free or fair” or “free and fair despite notable irregularities.” Uganda as a country at a point in time neither had elections nor the luxury of “free and fair.” Where we stand is a long stride into the future of democracy and human rights that we are striving to construct. Despite the imperfections, we have leadership and that leadership is answerable to the people and responsive to the changing global terrain.
We have six rounds of mass adult suffrage elections since 1996, at the head of which we have seen an expansion of representation at legislative and local council level, and bridging the gap in administration by creating administrative units taking care of the needs of inhabitants in the unique corners of the country. The elections are usually heated and tense, but we have been lucky that incidents like that of Trump have not occurred. How would our friends in the “higher democracies” react if such an incident occurred here? We would probably see advisories coming through and statements spelling out “terms and conditions” to adhere to.
There would be quick conclusions that it was the sitting government in a plot to bump off an opponent and “high pedestal” predictions dismissing the oncoming polls as a “sham-in-the-making.” Few would consider the “Ugandan Crooks” as a lone gunman on an unclear mission but someone hired from “above.” There is always room for one allegation after another but facts be told that there are always spoilers and lone incidents which bring to test our readiness as a global community to identify and surmount the common challenges we face, rather than pointing fingers.
It’s in black and white, that world over, democracy is on test or put another way, it is still a work in progress. Democracy as envisaged by its founders has always been like baby aspiring to walk on two legs. You rise, you fall, you rise, fall and rise again until, guided by older ones, you go bipedal. How long that takes, in a normally progressing human, is predictable but in the case of a world where few experiments can imitate the reality on the ground, nobody knows when we shall finally say: “This is the perfect formula or standard.”
For now, no country can score 100 percent on any “democraphy” scale. When Uganda is struggling with its own version of politics and “Ugawood” democracy, a neighbor shouldn’t laugh; neither should an American consider us “backward or prone to dictatorship.” There are lessons each country can pick from another, but cognisant of our different histories and journeys. We all have youthful populations with energy, teeming aspirations and networks. They want certain things and they usually want them now. That’s alright, but the idea of violent extremism should be one we condemn in unison as a global village and affirm the application of civil methods to resolve the important questions of our times.
We stand with America and its great people as they go through this year’s election. Elections come and go but nations must remain standing!
The author is the Deputy Presidential Press Secretary
Email: faruk.kirunda@statehouse.go.ug
0776980486/0783990861
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