NRM AND NUP PARTIES REJECT MITYANA NORTH MP BILL ON ELECTION OF LOP.

15TH OCTOBER 2024.

BY,ISAAC SENABULYA.

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has rejected the proposal by Lumu to introduce new grounds for the removal of the Leader of the Opposition in office upon being voted out by Opposition MPs in Parliament, arguing that this too strips the Political Parties of their powers to discipline their member.

The remarks were made by Director Legal, at NRM Enock Barata while appearing before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, to present the Party’s views on the Administration of Parliament Amendment Bill 2024, that was tabled by Richard Lumu (Mityana South).

“We think that for a multi-party democracy, the parties must be empowered, they should be allowed to grow. If you keep stripping them, then you have a challenge and since I have heard that the proposal will be effectuated at a future date, you never know who it will be,” said Barata.

The party secretary General Richard Twodong said “We are in leadership because of the popular vote of our people and it is in our interest that we have an Opposition that is organized enough to challenge our activities of governance. In a way we think that, it is better to deal with an organized Opposition, it is better to deal with an Opposition that thinks through what they are supposed to oppose. We know there are many parties that equally so, have MPs represented in Parliament and so we feel, all of them must participate in the Governance process of this country.

The Ruling Party however backed the proposal to have the Leader of Opposition to be removed in office due to infirmity of the body or mind, but on the other hand, NRM rejected the removal grounds of incompetence and misbehaviour, describing the grounds as too broad.

“We support the one that says, he or she is unable to perform the functions of the office due to infirmity of body or mind. That is natural and that is a proposition that we support. We find those (incompetence and misbehavior grounds of removal) problematic because they are too broad. And in the present state, they require some natural justice. How are you going to determine incompetence? What if it is challenged? If it is challenged, you go to court and in the meantime, we are stuck in Parliament and what happens?”noted Barata .

Meanwhile the National Unity Platform (NUP) also rejected the Administration of Parliament Amendment Bill, 2024 saying it is a continuation of the hostility and antagonism the current leadership of Parliament, has created for the current Leader of Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi.

The remarks were made by Lewis Rubongoya, NUP’s Secretary General, while appearing before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, to present the Party’s views on the Administration of Parliament Amendment Bill 2024, that was tabled by Richard Lumu (Mityana Municipality) in which he is proposing election for Leader of opposition, and end the current practice of having such a leader imposed on MPs by political parties.

He said, “The timing and context of the amendment indicates bad faith. It is public knowledge that the current leadership of Parliament has engaged in a pattern of hostility and antagonism against the current Leader of Opposition by creating and sustaining an environment that sidelines and marginalizes him in key parliamentary processes and decision. Ssenyonyi hasn’t been invited or allowed to attend any Parliamentary Commission meeting and so we ask ourselves, why now? Why not before? We think there is bad faith suddenly and the current LoP is being targeted through this law.”

Rubongoya also accused the current leadership of Parliament of the “special” priority it has given to Lumu Bill, despite the evident lack of preparation, on the part of its mover, which he says raises disturbing questions about the true motive behind its presentation.

“This Committee therefore must not accompany the mover of this Bill on a journey that was birthed and nursed with sinister intentions, bad faith, far from Article 79 of the Constitution which requires Parliament to legislate for good Governance. We are convinced that the Bill is intended to tame the Leader of Opposition and weaken that office,” noted Rubongoya.

The National Unity Platform, also wondered why Lumu was hell bent on enacting such a controversial law that has been rejected by all the main Opposition Parties including FDC, UPC, ANT, which rejection ghe described as a resounding vote of no confidence by the persons who would have been the biggest beneficiaries and the main stakeholders, adding that this protest speaks volumes of the Bill’s legitimacy.

“If the current Bill was meant to help the entire Opposition and the entire Opposition is saying no, the question this Committee should ask Lumu, whose interests is Lumu trying to push, by insisting on such a law?” explained Rubongoya.