Uganda police arrest two opposition presidential candidates News
Uganda police arrest two opposition presidential candidates

[JURIST] Ugandan police on Thursday arrested two presidential candidates planning on challenging current President Yoweri Museveni [BBC profile]. Former Ugandan Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi [official website], who had announced [BBC report] his intention to run for president last month and was arrested [New Vision report] while campaigning for a presidential bid for the National Resistance Movement [official website], the same party Museveni belongs to. Police had banned him from campaigning until the party chose a candidate. Opposition leader Kizza Besigye [BBC profile] was also detained [New Vision report] for 24 hours. Besigye has consistently been arrested [Reuters report] for short periods of time by Ugandan police for holding anti-government demonstrations after the 2011 elections.

The arrests of Mbabazi and Besigye could lead to increased political tensions between Museveni and those who plan on challenging him. Museveni has been accused [AP report] of being an authoritarian since he took office by force in 1986, using security forces to retain power. His government has also been criticized for limiting public gatherings and not allowing [JURIST reports] for an independent judiciary.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

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On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.