Incumbents may attempt to co-opt mobilizers, suppress their activities, or engage in disinformation campaigns. However, successful mobilization can still pose a significant challenge to their hold on power
Military men surveil downtown Kampala on July 24,
2024 in the aftermath of the July 23, 2024 March to parliament protests which
were managed by security forces with no reports of use of live rounds or
teargas to disperse or arrest demonstrators. Courtesy
of PHOTO/MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZ
HOW POLITICAL MOBILIZERS ARE A THREAD TO INCUMBENTS
There is a lot to remember than to forget when it comes to elections time but surprisingly political agents have all to say about their most loyal to and loved leaders, a move that is a question of who is speaking what and who is doing what.
For us common men and women, our believe in the country sides is that
leaders should exercise visibility, influence change to our socio status and bring
about positive change. A narrative that is sometime a compromised stance when political
agents, be it foot soldiers twist it to the extent that the incumbents have
done everything and have no reason for questioning as need for accountability is
the order of the day especially during such times as of election periods.
A lot has been questioned on
how leaders and politicians inform their public relations.
Political
mobilizers pose a threat to incumbents by challenging their established power
base and potentially mobilizing public opinion against them, manifesting through
various means, including organizing protests, raising awareness about specific
issues, and directly challenging incumbents' actions weakening their support
base, erode public trust, sometimes leading to electoral defeat.
Influence of financial contributions and spending are making it worse as those whose candidates have got more money power organize more energetic self-proclaimed campaigns and street parties to exert pressure on the opponents, this has not left electorates being abused and mocked because of differences in political affiliations.
In commercial aspect in politics encompassing campaign financing, lobbying, and other forms of political spending, concerns about fairness, transparency, and the potential for corruption in this regard is leaving electorate frustrated as in most cases only a few individuals eat from politicians and yet they have the general mandate and vote, a move making political mobilizers organize and mobilize voters to support alternative candidates or parties, potentially leading to the weakening of the incumbent in elections.
Following
such discrepancies mobilisers have now resorted to raising awareness about
issues and mobilizing public opinion to create a negative perception of the
incumbent's performance, making it harder for them to maintain support, hence
eroding public trust in the incumbents, making them vulnerable to criticism and
opposition.
Social
media has become a powerful tool for political mobilization, allowing
mobilizers to reach large audiences and disseminate information quickly. In
essence, political mobilizers act as a check on the power of incumbents,
holding them accountable and potentially leading to their removal from office.
With all the above, political tensions on normal accessions has caused rivalry and fights within mobilisers sometimes without even the awareness of their lining candidates. As many are risking their lives in the names of leaders and politicians a course that they may be fully accountable if not carefully calculated.
