By Jacinta W. Odongo; Media Officer, Uganda Episcopal Conference
The bill which mainly targets Article 102 (b) of the 1995 Uganda Constitution has been widely criticized by different segments of people including the religious leaders, with numerous scenes of chaos witnessed in the Uganda parliament. The debate was postponed last week amid heavy police deployment to parliament. However, chaos erupted in Parliament on Tuesday 26th, September,2017 just before Igara West Member of Parliament (MP) Raphael Magyezi (the man behind the motion) was due to seek leave of Parliament to introduce a motion to scrap the presidential age limit.
Opposition MPs arrived in parliament for the day’s proceedings with red head bands. Speaker Rebecca Kadaga ordered them to take them off before business started but instead it took a new twist a a number of MPs from both the ruling party National Resistant Movement (NRM) and the opposition party exchanged punches with the hurling of chairs.
Speaker Kadaga started Wednesday’s session of parliament by suspending 25 MPs for their unruly behaviour on Tuesday. However, things didn’t go well for the MPs who had disobeyed the Speaker’s orders to exit the parliament. Plain-clothed security operatives stormed parliament and forcibly evicted the lawmakers, a move that sparked another brawl similar to that on Tuesday. Parliament turned into a boxing ring as the MPs climbed over the green bench-like chairs, threw portable chairs all over the place and turned microphones into sticks.
When Parliament resumed, the leader of opposition tried to bring to the attention of the speaker to the events that had just transpired but she wasn’t given a chance. The remaining opposition MPs then walked out of parliament and the opposition side was empty as the motion was being passed.
According to the speaker, the actions of the MPs on Tuesday had brought the law making chamber into disrepute. The speaker also suspended State Minister for Water (Ronald Kibuule) for allegedly sneaking into the parliamentary chambers with a gun contrary to the rules.
The suspended MPs were mostly from the opposition and will be barred from parliamentary activities, including not accessing the area of parliament for three consecutive sittings from Tuesday to Thursday.
Now that the bill has been allowed, this could mean a first step to allowing incumbent Yoweri Museveni contesting in the next general elections due in 2021. President Museveni, who is now 73, will have surpassed the 75-year mark by the next general election.
Article 102 (b) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, bars individuals below the age of 35 and beyond 75 years from vying for presidency and other district top political positions. Hon. Magyezi said he believes his motion would grant Ugandans the right to choose their leaders without locking anyone out. The Bill that he will be working on will be called ‘The Constitutional Amendment Bill 2017’.
On September 18, Religious leaders in Uganda under the umbrella organization, the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) called for a referendum to allow citizens decide on the matter of scrapping of the presidential age limit from the Constitution.
Meanwhile, the Uganda communications Commission has banned live coverage of parliamentary events. The regulatory body, in a statement circulated to media houses through its Executive Director ordered all broadcasters (Radios and TVs) to cease live coverage that he categorized “as inciting the public, discriminating and stirring up hatred and promoting violence amongst the viewers and are likely to create public insecurity and violence.”
He warned those media houses who fail to adhere to the order to face suspension and revocation of their licenses under section 41 of the UCC Act 2013.
The statement was released after media houses broadcasted live coverage from the parliament that showed MPs engaging in wrangles. Most of the media houses didn’t air the Wednesday brawls that transpired in parliament.
∽End∽