President Museveni urged Commonwealth speakers to recognise and appreciate the beneficial aspects left behind by colonialism.
These remarks were made during the 27th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSCOP), which is currently being hosted by Uganda.
The conference is scheduled to take place from January 3 to January 6, 2024, at the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort.
While acknowledging the inherently negative nature of imperialism, he emphasised that it led to the formation of the Commonwealth, which has united a population of 2.4 billion people.
President Museveni stated that this vast population could be harnessed to foster development within the Commonwealth nations.
“While we vehemently opposed the detrimental aspects of imperialism, which we consider regressive and malevolent, we acknowledged that some positive elements emerged from their presence. We decided to retain these elements and establish ourselves as equals, no longer as colonizers and the colonized. This is how the Commonwealth came into existence,” Museveni explained.
The President recounted his encounter with Her Majesty the Queen of England, emphasizing that he communicates directly despite their different accents.
He highlighted the significance of 2.4 billion people using a common language, which resulted from the temporary colonial interaction.
President Museveni additionally emphasized the importance for Commonwealth nations to refrain from lecturing other countries on which practices to adopt. Instead, he urged them to eliminate any notions of chauvinism, including chauvinism based on identity, religion, tribes, race, or social class.
The Parliament disclosed that 33 out of the 43 Speakers who had initially confirmed their attendance are present at the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Commonwealth Parliaments (CSCOP).
The attending guests represent various countries, including the Dominican Republic, Botswana, Ghana, Granada, Guyana, India, Kenya, The Kingdom of Eswatini, Lesotho, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Singapore, Samoa, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tonga, Uganda, and Zambia.
Speaker Anitah Among expressed gratitude to President Museveni for facilitating the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Commonwealth Parliaments, highlighting its significance as a major milestone in Uganda’s legislative history.
