In Government
Museveni began a pragmatic turn around in vision. To appease the Baganda he re-instituted the Kabaka and other royal palaces, promoted economic liberalisation and established himself as more of a civilian politician than a guerrilla leader. The NRM began to widen its appeal by emphasising its role in establishing security and maintaining a very disciplined army. The NRM also courted influential members from Idi Amin's tribe like Moses Ali. The NRM also encouraged free trade and stimulated rapid economic growth thus attracting the support of the affluent middle class while retaining favour in rural areas by ensuring law and order. The rural areas particularly in Buganda had suffered years of terror under Obote. By broadening its political base, the NRM was able to overcome splits from NRM members with other interests (see above) including the Rwandan refugees (led by Kagame) who abandoned the party to take up their own liberation struggle in Rwanda and the discontented members like Kizza Besigye who broke away to form the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
In the elections of 2006, the NRM proved its political credentials by out flanking the traditional parties like the Uganda People’s Congress and Democratic Party reminding people–-particularly those in the south—that the brutal northern dominated armies of Amin and Obote could return if the south showed any disunity. This appears to have pacified the Buganda nationalists and discouraged people particularly in the south from voting for the FDC. The death of Milton Obote has also resulted in the lack of any political force from northern Uganda. The north was also blighted by the Lord's Resistance Army which has carried out numerous atrocities there.
The NRM has however not escaped the tribal based politics that has dominated Uganda. Even in the south there is resentment over the dominance of people from the west in most key positions in the party and government institutions. Museveni’s iconic stature and economic progress in the south however are closely related to the NRM. Museveni and his party remain extremely popular.
Read more about this topic: National Resistance Movement
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