United States President Donald Trump signed 18 executive orders and memos in his first 12 days in office. Although Trump has signed fewer executive actions than President Barack Obama did in his first 12 days, Trump’s orders have been more varied and more impactful.
An executive order is rule issued by the president to an executive branch of government and having the force of law. The constitutions of most democratic countries provide that all legislative powers reside in the legislature. The executive branch usually has the responsibility to execute the laws passed by the legislature.
Baron de Montesquieu, a political philosopher, stated that there can be no liberty where the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person.
For me, the operation of executive orders carries both executive and legislative powers.
The accumulation of power (legislative, executive, and judiciary) in the same hands equal to the very definition of tyranny. This means that executive orders are contrary to the doctrine of separation of powers.
During the Idi Amin regime in the 1970s, Ugandans live to regret the use of decrees by the president. It baffles me when the developed countries polish it and refer to it as executive orders.
According to the Oxford dictionary, a decree is an official order that has the force of law. In Africa, when a president issues a decree, they are referred to as dictators. However, in USA, the word is polished and is called executive order and it is justified in their democracy.
Citing Trump’s executive order banning entry from seven majority-Muslim countries – Iran, Iraq,Libya,Somalia,Sudan,Syria and Yemen – I find no difference with the 1972 expulsion of Asians in Uganda by President Amin.
Logically, the understanding of a president’s power to issue executive orders and other directives will enable the likes of Trump, Idi Amin, etc, to use this leverage to exercise dictatorships in their countries.
As Africans always say, the right time to slap a king is when a fly sits on his cheek. Dear Americans, it is your turn! I respect the court’s ruling on these executive orders; let’s respect judicial orders, not executive orders or decrees.
Marvin Kushaba,
0705873431.
We need harmony on EAC economic pacts
The East African heads of state again failed to meet the deadline that they gave themselves last year on the signing of economic partnership agreements (EPAs), which was supposed to occur in January this year.
The EPA negotiations are still ongoing but while progress has been made, it has been difficult to find a common ground among the EAC member states, especially Tanzania and Burundi.
These two are reluctant to sign the treaty, fearing that they may get a raw deal. As Tanzania rightly observed, a lot has changed since 2002, when EPAs negotiations were initiated, among these is the Brexit.
This necessitates EAC to also adjust their negotiations with the new European Union (EU). Also, a section of the private sector in EAC, specifically in Uganda, is still unsure of what EPAs have in stock for them and have started expressing fear over their sustainability.
Unfortunately, it’s shocking to hear from some EU diplomatic circles threatening EAC members who won’t sign the EPAs that they would lose aid from EU. But we should know that EPAs are reciprocal; so, if some EAC member refuses to sign, the EU would have much to lose as well.
Instead of issuing threats, the EU should consider finding ways of resolving the remaining concerns in EPA negotiations. The remaining stumbling blocks should be dealt with in a more accommodating way by EU diplomats and EAC head of states in the next EAC summit.
Kennedy Musekura,
kennedyndeze@ yahoo.com
In memory of Janani Luwum
Archbishop Janani Luwum is recognized as a martyr and one of the most influential leaders in Africa. He was a trained primary scool teacher who, in 1948, accepted Christ as his savior and his conversion changed his life as he progressed and joined the leadership ranks in the Church of Uganda.
President Museveni announced February 16 as Janani Luwum day. Luwum was arrested in 1977 and is believed to have been killed on the orders of President Idi Amin, although his death was explained away as a car accident.
He was accused of receiving guns from Dr Milton Obote and of leading his followers to protest the Amin dictatorship. Mary Lawinyo Luwum said her husband refused to flee to exile and preferred to stay with his flock, claiming that he would leave when there were no more Ugandans left.
Archbishop Luwum was a brave, God-fearing man who stood for what he believed in. His contribution to peace in this country shall forever be remembered.
Mercy Abio,
Kampala.
Ban tinted cars
A few years ago, the police warned the public against tinting their car windows. Since then, besides the president and some VIPs, many ministers and key officials in police, government, the judiciary and security agencies have cars with heavily-tinted windows.
Even the black van assigned to transport Col Kizza Besigye and opposition politicians to police stations has tinted windows. A random look on the roads will confirm this phenomenon.
One then wonders: is tinting car windows a new requirement for key government officials, including the police? Is there a special benefit from riding in tinted glasses?
Andrew E Omara,
Kampala.
letters@observer.ug