House rejects Onapito Bill

By John Kakande and Joyce Namutebi PARLIAMENT yesterday rejected the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill moved by Amuria MP Ekomoloit Onapito that sought to remove ministers from the legislature. The motion for the second reading of the Bill was defeated after 97 MPs voted against it. Only 72 MPs voted in favour of the Bill and one member who was not identified abstained in the vote by secret ballot. "The motion was not carried in accordance with the Constitution. This terminates any further proceedings on the motion," the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Francis Ayume, said after announcing the results. He said the Bill needed the support of 187 members to advance to the next stage of consideration. A total of 107 MPs were absent. Only 169 out of 276 members were present and voted. Two ex-officio members; Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi and the Minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry, Prof. Edward Rugumayo, were present but did not take part in the voting. Notable absentees included Vice-President Dr Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, Cecilia Ogwal (Lira Municipality), Wasswa Lule (Lubaga North), Ben Mutyaba (Makindye East), Winnie Byanyima (Mbarara Municipality) and Ken Lukyamuzi (Rubaga South). Ayume had earlier informed the members that he had established that his previous ruling that the House was competent to vote on a Constitutional Amendment Bill if it had a quorum (93 MPs) was right. He said this was also the view of his Deputy, Mr. Edward Ssekandi. MPs led by Maj. John Kazoora (Kashari) and Manuel Pinto (Kakuto) had argued that a vote on the Bill could only take place if there were two-thirds of the members present. MPs supporting the Bill on Tuesday thwarted voting on the Bill because there was less than two-thirds of the members in the House. The Bill, which was seconded by Maj. Gen. Mugisha (UPDF), sought to amend Article 113 of the Constitution to stop ministers from doubling as MPs. A similar motion was defeated in the Constituent Assembly in 1995. Onapito, while winding up general debate on the Bill on Tuesday, hinted that if lost, they could petition for a national referendum on the matter. He and Mugisha Muntu left the House yesterday in a dejected mood and did not comment on the outcome. But several ministers shook hands after the defeat of the Bill. Nsibambi and all the ministers who debated the Bill vehemently opposed it. Minister of State for Housing Capt. Francis Babu said the Bill was only good "as an academic exercise." Nsibambi said the Bill would create so many secondary wars and double injury to the executive and Parliament. He said ministers should be in Parliament to "capture its tone and mood minute by the minute." "They become more accountable and sensitive to your needs," Nsibambi told the House, adding that, "The mood and the tone are not static, they change by the minute." The Minister of Local Government, Mr. Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, said that the Bill was "dangerous to the Office of the President."