Why Ugandan President Museveni Wants A 6th Term In Office

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: OK, listen, I want to start by asking you. You know, 80 percent of your country is under 35 years old. They weren’t even born when you first came into office. And they really seem to want a change. They want jobs. Why do you think you deserve another term?

YOWERI MUSEVENI, PRESIDENT OF UGANDA: Well, because I am the one who enabled the 80 percent to survive childhood diseases and who have given them all education and who have given them a base for economic — for the economy. And we have a good budget, and who can support them, can support those youth.

AMANPOUR: So, Mr. President, as I said, they want jobs. Uganda today remains one of the poorest countries in the whole wide world and depends hugely on foreign assistance. I want to ask you; 35 years ago, you said, the problem of Africa in general and Uganda in particular is not the people, but leaders who want to overstay in power. Now, you have seen that your country has now changed the two-term rule. They have changed the age limit. And there you are going for a sixth term. Why do you think that’s a good thing?

MUSEVENI: You should check your facts. It is the fifth fastest growing economy in the whole world. You should check your facts. It’s about to become a middle-income country. Now, regarding the politics, the management of society, yes, I said, stay in power for a long time without democracy, without democracy. Mark those words. But if it is the democratic will of the people, because we have got so many things to deal with, we need — if we need all hands-on board, then it’s correct that we have all hands-on board.

AMANPOUR: You call yourself still a freedom fighter. I want to read to you the words of your main opponent, Bobi Wine, young man who seems to have energized young crowds. He basically said in one of his songs: What was the purpose of liberation when we can’t have a peaceful transition? Freedom fighters become dictators. He sang that in 2018 in the song “Freedom.” He has a point, right?

MUSEVENI: That is wrong. We have been having transition. We have been having transition by having elections. Every five years, we have elections. And if the people didn’t want to give us a mandate, they would vote us out.