PAFO won’t back down â€" Musumba
May 03, 2004
THE Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (PAFO) has vowed to continue criticising what it called the excesses of the Movement and said it was their duty to save the country from “vandalism of the constitution.â€
By Henry Mukasa
THE Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (PAFO) has vowed to continue criticising what it called the excesses of the Movement and said it was their duty to save the country from “vandalism of the constitution.†reports
PAFO spokesperson Salaamu Musumba (Bugabula) yesterday said as long as there was no evidence that their concerns were being addressed, PAFO would maintain its crusade, which also included opposition to the “third term.â€
“There’s no evidence that we should back down. There’s no evidence that what we are asking for (smooth transition) is being addressed. People are continuing with plans to vandalise the constitution and those plans are even costed,†Musumba said in reference to the proposed referendum on political systems that the Electoral Commission said would cost sh30b.
PAFO is also opposed to a proposal by cabinet and the Movement conference to amend article 105 of the constitution to remove the five-year two term-limit for a president.
President Yoweri Museveni, while addressing the Movement Caucus last week said PAFO was out of order for contradicting Movement policies since some members professed the system’s doctrine.
However, Musumba said that the Movement caucus, which used to provide a forum to debate issues, was now a recycle bin.
“It (caucus) is a place where you just recycle ideas. You had to think within a box and if you thought out of that box you would be ruled out of order,†Musumba said.
“We want to bring new ideas and energise national politics,†she said and announced that PAFO would hold a consultative workshop for western Uganda at the Catholic Social centre in Mbarara on Wednesday.
THE Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (PAFO) has vowed to continue criticising what it called the excesses of the Movement and said it was their duty to save the country from “vandalism of the constitution.†reports
PAFO spokesperson Salaamu Musumba (Bugabula) yesterday said as long as there was no evidence that their concerns were being addressed, PAFO would maintain its crusade, which also included opposition to the “third term.â€
“There’s no evidence that we should back down. There’s no evidence that what we are asking for (smooth transition) is being addressed. People are continuing with plans to vandalise the constitution and those plans are even costed,†Musumba said in reference to the proposed referendum on political systems that the Electoral Commission said would cost sh30b.
PAFO is also opposed to a proposal by cabinet and the Movement conference to amend article 105 of the constitution to remove the five-year two term-limit for a president.
President Yoweri Museveni, while addressing the Movement Caucus last week said PAFO was out of order for contradicting Movement policies since some members professed the system’s doctrine.
However, Musumba said that the Movement caucus, which used to provide a forum to debate issues, was now a recycle bin.
“It (caucus) is a place where you just recycle ideas. You had to think within a box and if you thought out of that box you would be ruled out of order,†Musumba said.
“We want to bring new ideas and energise national politics,†she said and announced that PAFO would hold a consultative workshop for western Uganda at the Catholic Social centre in Mbarara on Wednesday.