The Uganda Parliament Opposition has come up with Constitutional Amendments

[Free Uganda]

The Uganda Parliament Opposition has come up with 26 constitutional amendments including the reinstatement of presidential term limit.

The Shadow Attorney General, Winfred Nuwagaba on Thursday moved a motion seeking leave of Parliament to introduce the over two dozen private member’s amendments, just a week after the government tabled electoral reforms and related amendments.

Deputy Attorney General, Mwesigwa Rukutana however, put a spirited fight to shoot down the motion at its inception.

Rukutana raised several queries like the need for certificate of financial implication from the government since some of the amendments touch the budget or consolidated fund.

 

The 26 Uganda Parliament Opposition proposed Amendments

(a) To increase the number of members of the Electoral Commission from seven to nine;

(b) To provide for the involvement of the Judicial Service Commission in the appointment of members of the Electoral Commission;

(c) To provide for the qualifications of a chairperson of the Electoral Commission;

(d) To prescribe the grounds for the disqualification of members of the Electoral Commission;

(e) To require the Electoral Commission to determine election complaints that arise before polling within ten days; (0 to remove representation of the army from Parliament;

(g) To provide for the leader of the opposition, Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General as ex-official members of Parliament;

(h) To replace the requirement for resignation of public officers who wish to stand in general elections with leave of absence without pay;

(i) To prohibit the appointment of Ministers from among members of Parliament; 0) to provide for the office of the Speaker’s Panel;

(k) To provide for the leader of opposition to be the leader of a political party or organisational in opposition to the Government having the greatest numerical strength in Parliament;

(l) To provide for the involvement of the Parliamentary Commission in the appointment of the Clerk to Parliament;

(M) To reinstate presidential term limits;

(n) To replace the office of Vice President with the office of Deputy of President;

(o) To repeal the office of Prime Minister;

(p) To allow political parties or organisations, or voters to challenge presidential elections;

(q) To restrict the number of Cabinet Ministers and State Ministers to twenty one respectively;

(r) To provide for the appointment and tenure of the President persons to be appointed Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General;

(s) To provide for the tenure of office of the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General;

(t) To increase the tenure of office of members of the Public Service Commission from four to five years;

(u) To require the Public Service Commission to determine salaries and allowances of public officers under Chapter Ten of the Constitution;

(v) To require the Public Service Commission, Education Service Commission and Health Service Commission, as the case may be, to appoint persons to hold or act in any office in the public service of the rank of head of department or above, among others;

(w) To repeal the office of resident district commissioner;

(x) To change the name of Uganda Police Force to Uganda Police Service and provide for the regulation of its conduct;

(y) To provide for the establishment of city land boards;

(z) To provide for other related matters.

Nuwagaba is however yet to be granted leave of Parliament. The Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah who chaired the house said he is still going to study the queries raised by Rukutana and make the ruling on a later date.

[Free Uganda]

Bill that seeks to re-introduce term limits

Two years after suffering a devastating defeat to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the age limit amendment bill, the opposition has bounced back with another bill that seeks to re-introduce term limits.

This development was announced by Shadow Attorney General (AG) Wilfred Niwagaba at the Leader of Opposition’s boardroom today.

While unveiling the bill to the press on Tuesday, Niwagaba expressed optimism that this time round NRM legislators who form the majority will support the ideas therein.

This he pointed out was due to the fact that with the 2021 elections fast approaching, these legislators who have in the past stalled every opposition move will be afraid to consider their personal interests above those of citizens.

“We do believe the majority of members of parliament of NRM will this time round vote with their conscience, vote for the people’s interests not the interests of specific individuals whose interest is to perpetuate themselves into power,” Niwagaba retorted.

The Opposition bill, which was gazetted on November 13 2019 also seeks to do eject the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) from holding seats in parliament.

Elaborating on this, Niwagaba explained that this is geared at saving the national army from the murky partisan politics to concentrate on their sole purpose of protecting Uganda’s territorial integrity.

It also intends to reduce ministerial slots from 81 to 21 and abolish Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and remove the post of Prime Minister.

In the same vein, the amendment also wants ministers appointed not to double as Members of Parliament and also for the Vice President to be voted upon as running mates to presidential candidates.

Niwagaba says all these amendments are aimed at reducing public administration costs, which jumped from 623 billion to 978 billion shillings in the ongoing 2019/2020 Financial year.

“We don’t need all that baggage.  So we are cutting down costs and also saying appoint ministers who are not members of parliament so that we have proper separation of powers,” he added.

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