Was the Obote II Government not following the socialist path anymore?

In September 2006 Patrick Rubaihayo made the following claim, which is reproduced on the UPC´s party website: “When the parties were allowed to function again after the fall of Idi Amin in 1980, UPC shifted its ideological position from socialism to a free market economy.”1 When this would be true, Obote´s second government would not have pursued the path of socialism anymore. But is it the truth? For that let us look at the 1980 UPC Manifesto. The UPC Manifesto

Set course towards Uhuru! – Message on the 62nd Independence Day anniversary

Happy Independence Day to you all country men and women, especially common citizens (peasants and workers): It is of great importance to assert that as a nation, we have reached at least a step a head compared to the past decades and regimes which were characterised by tyrant and military oppression as well political and constitutional instabilities. I thank God for at least a small mile stone that we have achieved so far with in a period of 62 years.

Mao Zedong on Africa – His remarks in context

Mao Zedong as a Chinese Marxist-Leninist and communist revolutionary also cared a lot about the situation in other countries. Especially Asia, Africa and South America were his focus. Therefore he also met many African guests. So, what were Mao’s views on Africa and how can we learn from them? In 1961 Mao said towards a delegation of foreign guests from Guinea, Jordan, South Africa, Senegal, Zambia, Uganda and Kenya: “Africa is the forefront of struggle.”1 Mao had in view that

The Workers Party of Ethiopia – An example of how to not build a Marxist vanguard party

When building a Marxist vanguard party of the working people you need ideological commitment, rooting among the workers and peasants mainly, collective leadership and a proportional social composition (by class, gender and ethnic composition) to be representative. There is an example in history, how to not achieve this goal: The Workers Party of Ethiopia (WPE). Lack of urgency in building the party The Derg, the military government of Ethiopia, ruled the country since 1974. Despite the socialist claim of the

The Marxist impact in the Common Man’s Charter

Up until today Milton Obote´s Common Man’s Charter is seen as one of the most important documents, if not the most important document, of socialism in Uganda. The background influences leading to this document are disputed. Yoga Adhola tries to set Obote in one line with European social-democracy for example1. But the Common Man’s Charter´s content goes far beyond European social-democracy. In the following I will describe the Marxist impact that the Common Man’s Charter had – if directly or

How to make a Socialist Constitution

It would be too much to say that drafting a socialist constitution is an art. Still, there are certain basic elements that need to be included to make the constitution a functional socialist one. Is it enough to simply write the socialist claim into the constitution? In the world there are several constitutions of obviously capitalist countries, which have a socialist claim. The Constitution of Portugal mentions a socialist claim in its Preamble; Article 3 of the Constitution of Tanzania

Bible of Rights Socialism – The infertility of CPUSA reformism

Reformist and revisionist tendencies in the communist movement can be found everywhere. One of the most ridiculous types surely is the CPUSA’s “Bill of Rights Socialism”. If the far more recent “MAGA Communism” would not exist, it would be the peak laughingstock. First things first: What is the origin of “Bill of Rights Socialism”? The answer is: An article published in 1990 by the long-term revisionist leader of the CPUSA Gus Hall. The title is “The American Way to Bill

What is Socialism?

Milton Obote’s goal was socialism as he said on several occasions during his rule. The Common Man’s Charter is his socialist manifesto, though it lacks a concrete definition of what it is. Back then it was not necessary because it was broadly known at the time. Today this is not the case. Tom Mboya, who was a member of the socialist wing of the KANU, delivered a fitting definition: “The elements of socialism that serve to characterise the

Mechanisms that damn reformism to always fail

Foreword: I wrote this essay in December 2016 and edited it a bit. I recommend it to be read by comrades who still have reformist illusions, to see, how senseless it is to still hope in successful reformism in a bourgeois state. 1. “Representative Democracy”: You elect deputies all 4/5 years who are not responsible to you, so it could be the case that you throw your ballot in the box and these who were elected by you say to

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