NRM caucus summons members over Parliament Bill

The NRM caucus has summoned party members in Parliament for a meeting to discuss the controversial Administration of Parliament Bill, 2019.

The caucus chairperson Ruth Nankabirwa said the members are scheduled to meet tomorrow (Wednesday) and give their views on the Bill before she appears before the Legal and Parliamentary Committee to give her views.

Tabled by a private member Andrew Aja Baryayanga (Kabare Municipality) and seconded by Medard Sseggona (Busiro East) the Bill is currently being scrutinised by the legal and parliamentary affairs committee.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Nankabirwa said she has already consulted and written the views of the party's top organ, the Central Executive Committee on the Bill.

"I cannot appear before the committee without first consulting CEC and caucus members.  It's their views that I will represent to the Committee," she said.

Tabled in February 2019, the Administration of Parliament Bill has since set tongues wagging over its provisions that seek to fundamentally change the manner in which influential office bearers at Parliament will henceforth assume office.

The Bill seeks to have the Leader of Opposition (LoP), Chief Whip and their deputies elected by opposition lawmakers serve a term of five years.

The Bill is providing for the party with the greatest numerical strength to nominate three names each for the positions of LoP, Opposition Chief Whip and their deputies who then shall be subjected to a vote by all opposition MPs.

The opposition members have opposed the Bill saying it is meant to undermine the very essence of multiparty political dispensation.

In one of the retreats in Entebbe, the opposition reportedly tried to convince Ssegona to drop the Bill to no avail.

They argued that the LoP is like the ‘Prime Minister' of the opposition in Parliament and subjecting her to a vote yet the Prime Minister of Uganda is not, they said, would amount to Parliament choosing the opposition leader in the House on behalf of the opposition.

They also reportedly said the piece of legislation was brought in bad faith with the aim of clipping its influence in the House.

Ssegona and Aja contend that it is informed by the need to draw a line under the current situation where Parliament is held hostage by forces outside its precincts over which it has no influence.