Why intimidate MPs on age limit debate?

Jul 27, 2017

The Opposition is aware that amending any clause in the Constitution is legal.

OPINION

By Amlan Tumusiime


Five years ago on Thursday, May 24, 2012, I wrote an article in the New Vision titled "Term limit agitators are enemies of democracy".

My article followed demands by the Opposition that Parliament should re-instate the term limits that the Seventh Parliament had removed from the Constitution in 2005.

I stated that presidential term limits were not good for a democratic country like Uganda because the clause was denying Ugandans an opportunity to choose a leader of their choice.  It was good that the Ninth Parliament did not heed to the pressure from the Opposition.

Again the Opposition together with their "friends" the civil society organisations have, in a speculative way, come out to fight the removal of the presidential age limit from the Constitution.

I call it speculative because the deputy Attorney General, Mwesigwa Rukutana, clarified that the Government had not produced any Bill for the amendment of the Article 102(b) of the Constitution.

The Opposition is using the media and have also deployed their agents in different parts of the country to mobilise the public to talk to their Members of Parliament not to pass the Bill. Also some NRM MPs such as the Arua Municipality MP, Ibrahim Abiriga and Simeo Nsubuga in their individual capacities are being intimidated for supporting the removal of the age limit from the Constitution, something which is illegal and has even attracted the attention of the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga.

The Opposition is aware that amending any clause in the Constitution is legal because it was provided for by the framers of the 1995 Constitution.

However, the message they are giving to the public is misleading and are deliberately using words like "tampering" with the Constitution and cautiously ignoring using the word "amending".

They are aware that the word "tampering" sounds bad and illegal before the people, which is the reason they are using it instead of explaining to them that amending of any clause is provided for by law and it is the mandate of Parliament to do so. I observed this recently when I attended a burial in Hoima and the presidential age limit was widely talked about. Some people believed that the Government was trying to amend the Constitution by force not knowing that in case it happens it is Constitutional.

I am happy that some NRM supporters like David Mafabi, the presidential private secretary for political affairs and Col. Fred Mwesigye, the Nyabushozi County MP, have come out openly and launched a drive to lift the age limit. Their plan to have a national sensitisation programme is correct because it will help citizens get the right information and also correct the wrong impression created by the Opposition.

Although the Government has not yet tabled the Bill for debate, I do not see anything wrong with removing Article 102(b) from the Constitution because in any case this article is bad. It discriminates against the elderly people and violates their fundamental human right of being leaders. The Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, General Kahinda Otafiire, said the Government is going to have a constitutional review commission to seek people's views. This is good and should be done because I believe Ugandans still love to have President Museveni back. I have no doubt that the majority of Ugandans will support the removal of the presidential age limit.

It is coming to eight years now since I started writing opinions in the New Vision as a guest writer but I want to confess that I have never received support from the readers like that I received when I wrote an article in the New Vision on April 15, titled: "Why presidential age limit should be removed." People I do not even know rang me. I was told that some Bunyoro-based FM radio stations in their morning press review talked about the article giving a chance to people who do not access newspapers to get to know about this.

I know Ugandans who are honest will still back Museveni to keep around for some more time because he has led us well and transformed this country. I was even happy when Winnie Byanyima the wife of Kizza Besigye addressed a press conference at her home in Kasangati in Wakiso district recently and said "We must help Museveni to have a safe transition and leave power as a hero that he is. He has been our leader for a very long time and has shaped this country in many positive ways. He has turned the economy around.

He has worked to bring about some democratic changes. He has put us on a path of stable governance. Now it is time for him to leave according to the Constitution. " To me this is a honest analysis by Byanyima on Museveni's achievements although I do not agree with her that Museveni should leave because of the 75 presidential age limit clause.

Ugandans should be like the people of Rwanda who appreciated President Paul Kagame contributions for their country and petitioned the Rwandan parliament to have the presidential term limits removed from the Rwandan Constitution. When the matter was put for referendum the people of Rwanda lifted the term limits with 98.3% and today president Kagame is contesting again for the elections that is to be held in August 4th.

Anyone who still doubts Museveni's popularity should wait for the results from the Constitutional review commission as promised by General Otafiire. Museveni is still strong and with good ideas for this country. We do not need to lose him just because of old age. The opposition are busy sending video clips of Museveni when he said that he will not contest after clocking 75 years. That was his opinion but he should also listen to the voices of millions of Ugandans who are still believing and trusting him because of his track record in leadership. Museveni is a tested leader and a good man for that matter.

Many times Uganda opposition keep referring to other countries like the US on issues that suit their interests but today they cannot refer to America where there is no presidential age limit. That is why Donald Trump is 71years yet he can still go for another term if he so wishes.

Therefore, as NRM carders we need to move and mobilise our people to make them understand this issue very well and also undo what the opposition is doing to mislead and misinform the population.

Article 260 of the Constitution is clear that in order to amend the age limit Bill two-thirds of all MPs have to support it and in this regard 288 MPs are enough to have this Bill go through in case it is brought for debate and currently the NRM party has got 298 MPs plus 66 independents majority of whom are NRM leanings.

What is important is for the Government to appoint the constitutional review commission so that Ugandans also submit their views and avoid situations whereby the opposition can allege that Parliament was bribed as they claimed in 2005 when the NRM MPs in the 7th Parliament were accused of having been given sh5m bribe to remove the presidential term limits.

The writer is an NRM mobiliser Bunyoro

 

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