UPC spokesperson Micheal Osinde said the party was never consulted on the constitution of the commission. Photo by Ronnie Kijjambu
Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has given its stand on the names nominated to be on the Constitution Review Commission.
According to the UPC spokesperson Micheal Osinde Orach, the Constitution Review Commission is an important commission and they are going to query its representation.
“We should have been consulted as a party because we need to pull experience from various areas. If good objectives and goodwill is there, we shall not have any problems with the commission,” Osinde said during the party's weekly press briefing at Uganda House in Kampala.
“UPC is one of the key parties in this country and we pray that at this point in time, it would be good to consult all stakeholders,” he added.
This comes after 14 names were submitted to President Yoweri Museveni by Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, the justice and constitutional affairs minister, to be considered for the commission.
Various leaders and elders from both the opposition and governemnt have for a long been appealing to government to constitute an independent review commission to help review of the Constitution.
The last review commission to have been instituted by the government was established in February 2001 by Jehoash Mayanja Nkangi the then justice minister.
The last commission was created in 2001 by former justice minister Jehoash Mayanja Nkangi who passed away in 2017. Photo by Lillia Babirye
A 15 member team was instituted and was headed by Prof. Fredrick Edward Ssempebwa and deputised by Dr Joseph Byamugisha.
It concluded its work in December 2003 and since then, government had never established a review commission.
Critics
The president general of the Democratic Party, Norbert Mao, on Tuesday during a press briefing criticised the government saying the names forwarded for consideration were cadres from the ruling National Resistance Movement who will not represent the views of members of the public.
Mao further noted that the commission needs young blood since they are the future of the country.
