MP Lyomoki denies being a ‘rebel’ NRM

By Henry Mukasa
and Cyprian Musoke

WORKERS MP Dr. Sam Lyomoki has written to President Yoweri Museveni as the chairman of National Resistance Movement (NRM) protesting being branded a ‘rebel’ because he took a stand different from the official party position.

Early this month, Lyomoki and Henry Banyenzaki (Rubanda West) unsuccessfully moved a motion to condemn the Government for the Police action at the High Court on March 1 when the People’s Redemption Army suspects, who had been granted bail, were re-arrested. This was contrary to what was agreed in the party caucus.

Lyomoki has threatened to appeal to the Constitutional Court for redress if his appeal for the amendment of provisions of the NRM constitution that seek to silence MPs through the caucus is disregarded.

“I know this action in itself could be misinterpreted as indiscipline and embarrassing to the party but it could be the only way to assist us to harmonise our thinking and to establish a standard to guide the caucus,” Lyomoki wrote in a March 27 letter.

It was copied to the Speaker, Prime Minister, Government chief whip, NRM secretary general and NRM MPs.
Lyomoki stated that by thinking independently on the issue of the High Court saga, they were not being rebellious but fulfiling their cardinal role and constitutional mandate as MPs.

“My thinking is that the party parliamentary caucus is an organ of maximising consensus, assisting us to arrive at a common position we defend in good faith, provided that such positions are subject to the wisdom of individual MPs and that an MP is not outlawed from dissenting on strong views to the contrary.”

“The stance of labelling dissenting MPs ‘rebels’ ‘erratic,’ indisciplined or people who want to split the party seems to continue and to be central in the workings of the caucus.

“Unfortunately, many members have believed this fallacy and our Government chief whip appears to be possessed with the delusion to shoot anything from the so called ‘rebels’.”

Lyomoki also complained that work in Parliament was no longer through lobbying and team-building but rather through manipulation, threats and intimidation.

He said this thinking is being used to scare MPs, thereby stifling free debate in Parliament and stigmatising those who boldly voice the interests of their constituents.

He noted that this is a violation of the principle of separation of powers, is an onslaught on democracy and constitutionalism and will definitely lead to parliament becoming in practice a department or agent of the executive.

Lyomoki advised Museveni to strongly think about this development because by not drawing a line between the executive and back-benchers, NRM caucus affairs will continue to be shrouded within controversy.

“History will judge us harshly if we do not correct this anomaly by amending the NRM constitution and changing the way we conduct our affairs in the caucus. We are not rebels and neither is our action rebellious.”