My constitutional duty is to make sure that a government can be formed following last Thursday's general elections. I have informed the Queen's private secretary that it is my intention to tender my resignation to the Queen.

In the event that the Queen accepts I shall advise her to invite the leader of the opposition to seek to form a government. I wish the next Prime minister well as he makes the important choices for the future. It was a privilege to serve and yes I loved the job, not for its prestige, its titles and its ceremony, which I do not love at all. ….And now that the political season is over let me stress that …'

This is an extract of a speech by Gordon Brown announcing his departure before handing the reins of power to Mr. David Cameron, Britain's youngest Prime minister after the Earl of Liverpool in 1812.

While developed democracies enjoy peaceful transitions African states are entangled in electoral fraud, violence and military takeovers. Nelson Mandela put it clearly that in his country you go to prison first and then become president.

Those in power hold a toxic belief they are to stick on the political saddles as long as the sun still rises from the East and sets in the West; and not even an election can shake them. Abraham Lincoln must have been right to say that a ballot is stronger than a bullet. Yes that's right but at least not in modern dictatorial states where presidents take themselves to be Almighty drivers of others and hereditary rulers of their countries.

The intellectual and moral faculty of mankind will put it clearly that no man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent. What makes leaders impose themselves permanently on the citizens even against their will is something that beats my logic.

Politicians and diapers have one thing in common; they should both be changed regularly and for the same reason. Am sorry to quote this if it offends you especially the very few good politicians. The problem is that ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation. We put our trust and confidence backed by expectations into some people during elections only to be paid with disappointments.

The primary reason why one would vote for you is to give you an opportunity to serve this nation and not build your own wealth and meet personal ends.

There is nothing Ugandans have come to hate more than elections. Elections have become a circus because of the constant manipulations that go with them making them unable to serve the genuine purpose. Electoral fraud, which is the illegal interference with the process of an election, is a common practice crossing from one century to another.

Incumbents together with their loyal electoral agencies or commissions continue to hoodwink the masses that they are holding free and fair elections and therefore they are democratic. You are right boys, but you are running short of fools to keep at your disposal. It is not the voting that portrays democracy; instead it is perhaps the counting of votes.

Every after an election and before, we have heard cases of illegal voter registration, increasing the vote count of the favoured candidate, intimidations at polls and improper counting, depressing the vote share of the rival candidate and buying voters. Undue pressure has been put on a voter or a group of voters so that they will vote in a particular way or not at all.

A number of workers have been threatened by their bosses to lose their jobs if they did not vote in a particular way. Candidates especially the incumbents can mount their high horses again by providing financial or material incentives to a voter in exchange for a vote. Instead of electing leaders basing on merit money issued now buys a vote.

This spreads cynicism and undermines the health of a democracy. Again this explains why leaders would choose to keep their subjects poor and desperate so as to accept money in exchange for votes during election seasons. 

The twenty seconds conversation between the voter and the ballot paper is a singular opportunity for the voter to decide on who should lead him and which direction his country should take. Unfortunately this chance is never utilized in most cases. I have come to realize that voters will choose a particular candidate basing on at least one of the four major reasons which are; expectations, appreciation, revenge and duty.

As a candidate you may possibly be elected because voters expect you to bring positive changes like building hospitals, schools constructing roads or creating employment.  Some voters elect or re-elect candidates simply to appreciate them for an earlier good performance. Others would vote for you so as to fulfill revenge against your opponent.

There are elections won by men and women chiefly because most people vote against somebody rather for somebody. There is another fraction of voters that would go to the polling station because they have been told that it is their duty to vote. These can vote any one without having a thought.

A rational voter is what this country needs. One who will always choose candidates basing on expectations but not appreciation, revenge or duty. Individualistic expectations should not be given preference and national interests have to come first.

We have also come to realize that an election cannot give a country firm sense of direction if it has two or more parties which merely have different names but are as alike in their principles and aims as two peas in the same pod. Voters are not sure if they can put their confidence in any political party. Politicians are gifted with sweet tongues and can promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.

A political party that criticizes the other for wrong policies and overstaying in power will exactly do the same once they get into power. The higher the monkey climbs the more he exposes his buttocks.

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