Uganda scraps presidential age limit

 Legislators try to capture the eye of the speaker to be chosen to debate the age limit ammendment Bill. Photo by MARIA WAMALA

Parliament on Wednesday night overwhelmingly voted to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2017, with some amendments.

The Bill was passed at close to 11:00pm in the absence of most Opposition MPs, who had left after losing the first vote for the second reading.

After the first vote, legislators set upon scrutinising the provisions of the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2017.

In the first vote, the ruling NRM members overwhelmingly voted for the Bill garnering 317 majority support. They had needed 290 votes to move to the final stage of approving the Bill.

The opponents of the Bill were 97 while two MPs abstained.

During the final vote for the Bill to be passed, 315 MPs voted in favour of the Bill, 62 against and two abstained.

After the second reading, in parliamentary rules, Parliament meets as a "committee" and scrutinizes the provisions of a Bill, effecting amendments where it deems it necessary.

Details in today's New Vision