Ugandan president raps Obama over term limits, life presidency

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni late on Monday criticized U.S. President Barrack Obama over his remarks about African leaders' failure to respect presidential term limits and clinging on power for life.

Addressing a joint press briefing with Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House Entebbe, 40 kilometers south of the capital, Kampala, Museveni said Obama and other western leaders must respect the popular will of African people who " democratically" vote their leaders to power through regular elections. "Those who focus on term limits, we don't think they are correct. Africa is not a back world because of term limits, but because of its lack of federation, common market, infrastructure and security, " said Museveni.

"People like Obama do not raise these issues while with us. I don't know what he meant. I don't care, that is none of my business. For us in Uganda, we rejected this business of term limits. If I am in power because I am voted by the people, then I am there by the will of the people," he said.

He added, "We have elections in Uganda every five years and our people have a choice. We are going to have elections here, Ugandans will tell you about the term limits."

Ugandan legislators in 2005 voted to scarp the two presidential term limits in the East African country constitution.

Speaking during a keynote address to the African Union (AU), a member organization of 54 African nations, at its headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, late last month, President Obama called on African presidents to respect their constitutions and step down when their terms end.

"I just don't understand the phenomenon of leaders who refuse to step aside when their terms end. No one should be president for life," said Obama.

"There is still so much I want to get done to keep America moving forward. But the law is the law and no one is above it, not even presidents," he said.

Museveni who last week picked his ruling National Resistance Movement party nominations forms to run as its presidential flag bearer for the fifth term in office in the 2016 polls asked Obama and western countries to stop imposing democracy on the African people.

"I have no apology to make to Obama ... It's only the U.S. who has term limits. Look at Israel, UK (United Kingdom) and Germany. They don't have term limits," said Museveni

"Look at Tunisia, with confusion from some western countries, they voted for a man of 88 years old. They were stuck, having made a lot of mistakes," he said.

President Museveni has been in power since 1986 after five-year guerrilla war in the central part of the country.

President Kenyatta told reporters that the popularity of a leader in a country is not determined by term limits.

"If Ugandans have chosen no term limits. I don't see the problem with it. If it's people's desire, you must abide by the will of the people. We need to respect the democratic will of the people in the country or region," said Kenyatta.

"What must be respected is the popular will of the people. Popularity is about how you deliver. Allow people to choose their leaders through the ballot. We must focus on prosperity for our people, infrastructure, federation and security," he said. Endite