Ministers without millstones

NOW that Parliament has vetted the ministerial nominees and the President has assigned portfolios to the respective individuals, the new ministers should be getting down to business. It is going to be a demanding time for ministers as government programmes need to be directed, and as the public expects. At the same time, the electorate is also expecting from their newly elected members of the Seventh Parliament, which can be demanding for individuals filling both ministerial and legislative posts. The Sixth Parliament debated a motion that had championed a constitutional amendment that would bar ministers from being MPs and vice versa. The motion was defeated, rightly, since it would have been a recipe for crisis, with an everlasting potential for stand-offs between the legislature and the executive. As it is now, having a few legislators being part of the executive brings a moderating influence that is crucial for national business to be conducted smoothly. The United Kingdom runs a system in which the cabinet and junior ministers are selected solely from Parliament. While this ensures that elected representatives run the government, it has its limitations because it closes out a lot of talent and skill. As it were, Uganda has the best of two worlds. The Constitution allows the President to assign ministerial positions to individuals from outside Parliament, who then become ex-officio members of the House. This is healthy because it enables the President to pick technocrats, who may otherwise not be interested in electoral politics, to bring crucial skills to government. The new ministerial line up of 65 has eight ex-officio members of Parliament. These should be able to perform their ministerial duties without being burdened by the millstone of constituency politics.