Parliament to pass marriage Bill
Mar 23, 2011
THE controversial Marriage and Divorce Bill will be passed before the end of the eighth Parliament, Speaker Edward Ssekandi has said.
By MARY KARUGABA
THE controversial Marriage and Divorce Bill will be passed before the end of the eighth Parliament, Speaker Edward Ssekandi has said.
The proposed legislation recognises cohabitation in terms of property rights, abolishes forced marriage, prohibits same sex marriage and allows women to divorce their husbands on grounds of cruelty.
Ssekandi yesterday ex¬pressed concern that the Bill, though repackaged, was taking too long to be passed.
“It is high time we passed this Bill at least before the end of this term. I will make sure I find a slot on the order paper for this once the committee handling the matter is through with its report,†Ssekandi said to applause from members of Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA).
He was responding to a request by UWOPA members to have the Bill passed before the end of the eighth Parliament.
“It will be supported because it has been repackaged. It will be easy to deal with. Just follow it up with the legal committee and ensure that it is brought to the House,†Ssekandi said.
Jane Alisemera, the chairperson of UWOPA, said: “We have achieved six of the things we wanted to accomplish during the eighth Parliament. It will be an achievement if this Bill is passedâ€.
She said the Bill is intended to protect all family members not only the women.
Tabled in Parliament in 2009, the Bill has received its fair share of controversy since its introduction. Originally called the Domestic Relations Bill, it met a lot of resistance from both religious leaders, especially the Muslims, and the men.
Christians and Muslims could not agree on certain sections especially on polygamy. While Muslim women objected to forced consultation between wives, Christians objected to polygamy.
The Bill was later split into two thus the Marriage and Divorce Bill, and the Muslim Personal Law Bill. It registered success at its first reading and has been amended several times.
THE controversial Marriage and Divorce Bill will be passed before the end of the eighth Parliament, Speaker Edward Ssekandi has said.
The proposed legislation recognises cohabitation in terms of property rights, abolishes forced marriage, prohibits same sex marriage and allows women to divorce their husbands on grounds of cruelty.
Ssekandi yesterday ex¬pressed concern that the Bill, though repackaged, was taking too long to be passed.
“It is high time we passed this Bill at least before the end of this term. I will make sure I find a slot on the order paper for this once the committee handling the matter is through with its report,†Ssekandi said to applause from members of Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA).
He was responding to a request by UWOPA members to have the Bill passed before the end of the eighth Parliament.
“It will be supported because it has been repackaged. It will be easy to deal with. Just follow it up with the legal committee and ensure that it is brought to the House,†Ssekandi said.
Jane Alisemera, the chairperson of UWOPA, said: “We have achieved six of the things we wanted to accomplish during the eighth Parliament. It will be an achievement if this Bill is passedâ€.
She said the Bill is intended to protect all family members not only the women.
Tabled in Parliament in 2009, the Bill has received its fair share of controversy since its introduction. Originally called the Domestic Relations Bill, it met a lot of resistance from both religious leaders, especially the Muslims, and the men.
Christians and Muslims could not agree on certain sections especially on polygamy. While Muslim women objected to forced consultation between wives, Christians objected to polygamy.
The Bill was later split into two thus the Marriage and Divorce Bill, and the Muslim Personal Law Bill. It registered success at its first reading and has been amended several times.