Speaker calls crisis meeti for 70 MPs
Feb 04, 2011
THE Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, will today meet the 70 MPs who are likely to lose their seats following the Constitutional Court judgment that outlawed their change of political party allegiance.
By Milton Olupot,
Henry Mukasa
and Andante Okanya
THE Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, will today meet the 70 MPs who are likely to lose their seats following the Constitutional Court judgment that outlawed their change of political party allegiance.
Parliament spokesperson Hellen Kawesa said yesterday the meeting requested by the embattled legislators would start at parliamentary buildings at 10:00am.
“I know that MPs want to meet the Speaker. “Since court had directed the Speaker to ‘take action’ the MPs want to hear what he has to say about the ruling,†Kaweesa said. “They are still bona fide MPs because we haven’t got any communication that their seats are vacant,†she added.
Kaweesa explained that usually when a seat is declared vacant due to a court judgment, the Electoral Commission informs Parliament of the occurrence and the Speaker takes action.
“Even court can instruct us. We had got instructions for Honourable Oketcho but he has appealed. So he is still a bona fide MP,†she stated.
On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court ruled that it is illegal for independent MPs to stand for elections on any party ticket and also for party MPs to contest as independents.
The controversial ruling was a result of a suit filed by George Owor, challenging the nomination of William Oketcho as NRM flag-bearer for West Budama North, yet he had joined the 8th Parliament as an independent.
While Attorney General Khiddu Makubuya, said he had not read the judgment, his deputy, Freddie Ruhindi, asserted that the Government would appeal against the ruling.
Yesterday, the lands minister, Omara Atubo, said the court had failed to address the lacuna in the Constitution, and instead hurriedly passed a harsh and distabilising verdict.
“An MP is not permanently condemned to stay in a party or to remain independent,†he said. “Some of us in the government discussed this issue and our view was that it was important to amend the Constitution to allow a period within which an MP is free to join another party as an electoral process,†he said.
Atubo told New Vision that the electoral process starts earlier than the time when the term of Parliament expires. He said the law should be amended such that a year to the expiry of a term of Parliament, an MP is allowed to take the necessary steps to change to another party.
He said: “The learned judges should have been conscious of the very serious and negative affect this ruling would have on the MPs and the country.â€
Atubo warned that the ruling would distabilise the electoral process which, he said, was already advanced.
Meanwhile the Supreme Court will on Friday, February 11, decide whether or not to suspend the execution of the ruling against Oketcho.
Oketcho has appealed to the Supreme Court seeking to have the verdict overturned.
He has sworn an affidavit, contending that his petition has high chances of success because the Constitutional Court made an improper evaluation of the evidence presented before it.
He also contends that it is in the “interest of justice to grant an order of stay†so that the appeal is not rendered useless.
On Monday, he filed the required notice of appeal, underlining his intentions to challenge the judgement.
Yesterday, a senior state attorney in the AG’s chambers, Patricia Mutesi, told New Vision that the AG had filed a notice of appeal, and the application would be filed at the Supreme Court today.
“I know that the MPs want to meet the Speaker. “Since court had directed the Speaker to ‘take action’ the MPs want
Henry Mukasa
and Andante Okanya
THE Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, will today meet the 70 MPs who are likely to lose their seats following the Constitutional Court judgment that outlawed their change of political party allegiance.
Parliament spokesperson Hellen Kawesa said yesterday the meeting requested by the embattled legislators would start at parliamentary buildings at 10:00am.
“I know that MPs want to meet the Speaker. “Since court had directed the Speaker to ‘take action’ the MPs want to hear what he has to say about the ruling,†Kaweesa said. “They are still bona fide MPs because we haven’t got any communication that their seats are vacant,†she added.
Kaweesa explained that usually when a seat is declared vacant due to a court judgment, the Electoral Commission informs Parliament of the occurrence and the Speaker takes action.
“Even court can instruct us. We had got instructions for Honourable Oketcho but he has appealed. So he is still a bona fide MP,†she stated.
On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court ruled that it is illegal for independent MPs to stand for elections on any party ticket and also for party MPs to contest as independents.
The controversial ruling was a result of a suit filed by George Owor, challenging the nomination of William Oketcho as NRM flag-bearer for West Budama North, yet he had joined the 8th Parliament as an independent.
While Attorney General Khiddu Makubuya, said he had not read the judgment, his deputy, Freddie Ruhindi, asserted that the Government would appeal against the ruling.
Yesterday, the lands minister, Omara Atubo, said the court had failed to address the lacuna in the Constitution, and instead hurriedly passed a harsh and distabilising verdict.
“An MP is not permanently condemned to stay in a party or to remain independent,†he said. “Some of us in the government discussed this issue and our view was that it was important to amend the Constitution to allow a period within which an MP is free to join another party as an electoral process,†he said.
Atubo told New Vision that the electoral process starts earlier than the time when the term of Parliament expires. He said the law should be amended such that a year to the expiry of a term of Parliament, an MP is allowed to take the necessary steps to change to another party.
He said: “The learned judges should have been conscious of the very serious and negative affect this ruling would have on the MPs and the country.â€
Atubo warned that the ruling would distabilise the electoral process which, he said, was already advanced.
Meanwhile the Supreme Court will on Friday, February 11, decide whether or not to suspend the execution of the ruling against Oketcho.
Oketcho has appealed to the Supreme Court seeking to have the verdict overturned.
He has sworn an affidavit, contending that his petition has high chances of success because the Constitutional Court made an improper evaluation of the evidence presented before it.
He also contends that it is in the “interest of justice to grant an order of stay†so that the appeal is not rendered useless.
On Monday, he filed the required notice of appeal, underlining his intentions to challenge the judgement.
Yesterday, a senior state attorney in the AG’s chambers, Patricia Mutesi, told New Vision that the AG had filed a notice of appeal, and the application would be filed at the Supreme Court today.
“I know that the MPs want to meet the Speaker. “Since court had directed the Speaker to ‘take action’ the MPs want