Appreciate your MP, for he or she has done something

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OPINION

By Mohammed Katamba

The National Resistance Movement, the party in government, and a host of opposition parties are in the process of selecting party flagbearers for various positions to be contested for in the coming general elections. This is happening prior to the nomination of candidates for the positions on dates set by the Electoral Commission.

Several persons, including the incumbent leaders, have stepped up to seek their party card to stand for various constituencies.

The heat of the competition, as reflected in the campaign reports from the ground and the number of people standing for elective office, already shows that next year’s race will be stiff.

The stakes are even higher for those who have expressed interest in standing for parliamentary positions, particularly those seeking to get into Parliament for the first time, or those replacing the incumbents.

Watching or listening to parliamentary contenders during party nominations and campaigns will leave one wondering if these persons know or understand the role of Members of Parliament.

Often, those seeking to unseat an incumbent will be heard saying, “the incumbent has not done anything”, and then they will go ahead to mention the poor roads, broken bridges, floods in the area, hence the need to replace him/her.

The establishment, composition, mandate and functions of Parliament are set out in the Constitution, which also prescribes how the institution will carry out its mandate. This is in addition to the Rules of Procedure, which have a basis in the same Constitution, the Commonwealth's best practices, plus precedents. Members of Parliament come together following an election or nomination to carry out these prescribed duties – legislation, representation, oversight and budgeting.

The notion that “the incumbent has done nothing” should not be entertained, based on the constitutional duties of a Member of Parliament. All legislators are in one way or the other involved in the consideration and conclusion of the business of Parliament. No Parliament business, action or decision will be taken without the required number of Members.

A committee of the House or the plenary will not commence with only the Chairperson or Speaker in the chair. He or she will need the numbers for presentation, debate and/or vote.

At voting time, a prescribed quorum, or a required minimum number to make decisions, will be needed. This will include your Member of Parliament. The name of your representative may not make it to the media after this silent contribution of attendance and voice voting, but he or she will have contributed to the consideration and conclusion of this particular matter, which will have an effect on you.

Have you, over the years, attempted to analyse your representatives’ contributions in the Official Report of Parliament, also known as the Hansard, or approached him or her to discuss their performance? This could give you a good perspective of your MP.

In the meantime, at the commencement of a new Parliament, some legislators are designated to various international bodies where they serve as representatives of Uganda or the Parliament of Uganda.

Five of them are selected to serve at the Pan-African Parliament, which holds sittings in South Africa. Others are designated to the ACP-EU Joint Parliament Assembly; Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States; Commonwealth Parliamentary Association; Inter Parliamentary Union, and others.

Representatives to these bodies will be away from the country for selected periods. Their immense contributions may not make it to the media in Uganda, hence misleading voters into thinking that their House representatives are simply absent and not taking part in Parliament proceedings, whereas they are.

Your elected representative takes credit for the business and successes (and of course failures) of the House, including the annual national budget, proposed laws, and resolutions and petitions emanating from their oversight and representation role.

Even when an MP presents a private Members’ Bill, which is a proposed law introduced by a private Member or backbench Member, the contribution and support of other legislators and the Executive are necessary.

Those who are into football know that at the end of a competition, winners’ medals will be awarded to defenders, strikers, goalkeepers, technical staff and subs, even though fans may only remember the best or most outstanding players of the squad.

Now in its Fifth Session, the 11^th Parliament, which commenced with its duties in May 2021, has during the first four sessions held over 350 sittings in which almost 140 bills were passed and other business, like resolutions, questions and petitions, were considered.

Persons standing for Parliament must know that when they get elected, they will be part of the Parliament team whose mandate falls under representation, oversight, legislation and budgeting rather than claiming that the incumbent opponent has not done anything in five or even more years.

The writer is with Parliament of Uganda