Ministers Should Not Be MPs â€" Epak

By John Eremu MINISTERS should be appointed outside parliament to avoid the patronage of the legislature by the executive, the Constitutional Review Commission heard yesterday. Oyam south MP Dr. Okullo Epak also told the commission that the President should have no powers to dissolve parliament. He said any stalemate between the executive and the legislature should be referred to the Constitutional Court for a ruling. The ardent multipartyist recommended that all provisions in the 1995 Constitution that restrict political party activities should be deleted and political pluralism allowed. Epak also defended the controversial free-car scheme for parliamentarians but said the MPs could meet the maintenance costs. “The principle is that an MP needs transport,” Epak said. “The contention is whether the cars should be free. Most MPs are saying all key persons in the executive are provided free transport and why not MPs?” Epak said the privileges of parliament should also include security, medical insurance, insurance against accidents and death. The coordinator National Guidance and Empowerment Network of People Having AIDS (PHA), Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga, a lecturer at the Uganda Martyrs University, Mr. Tom Muyanja, the assistant engineering officer Masindi, Thomson Mpabaisi and a Kampala businessman, Paul Musoke, also testified before the commission’s vice-chairman, Dr. Joseph Byamugisha. Byamugisha and commissioners Ateker Ejalu, Yusuf Kagugube, Benedict Mutyaba, Richard Todwong, Justin Okot and Prof. Asavia Wandera put the witnesses to task to defend their views. Rubaramira advocated for a national HIV/AIDS policy. He suggested that the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) should be scrapped and a National Trustee on HIV/AIDS created to look for funds to treat those infected by the HIV. “UAC has outlived its usefulness and the tax payers money should be redirected to treatment-based approaches since almost all Ugandans know what they want and what HIV/AIDS is all about,” Ruranga said. While advocating for a federal system, Epak said a referendum should first be held on the issue. He said the clauses on land ownership as provided in the 1995 Constitution should remain. Epak, who heads the Public Accounts Committee, said a special legislation should be enacted, giving the Auditor General more independence and powers to scrutinise classified expenditure and impose sanctions on stubborn public officers. Ends