RA vow to block amendment of Article 90
THE Reform Agenda (RA) has vowed to block the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2004, which seeks to give sessional committees of Parliament powers to scrutinise
By Jude Etyang
THE Reform Agenda (RA) has vowed to block the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2004, which seeks to give sessional committees of Parliament powers to scrutinise Bills.
The party’s secretary general, Geoffrey Ekanya, told the press yesterday that the party would work with “pro-democracy†MPs to ensure that the Bill is not passed.
“We are planning to challenge this Bill strongly and if the Government does not listen to our voice, we shall have a repeat of what happened in the sixth Parliament,†said Ekanya.
The Cabinet has introduced a Bill to amend Article 90 of the Constitution, which partly contributed to the nullification of the Referendum (Political Systems) Act by the Constitutional Court last month.
The amendment of article 90 is seen as precursor to the forthcoming major Constitutional Amendment Bill, which among other things addresses anticipated changes in the political system and the lifting of presidential term limits.
“The purported amendment is unconstitutional and if Parliament passes it, it will be challenged in court and nullified. The whole process will have wasted tax payers’ money,†Ekanya said at the party’s weekly press briefing at the head-office in Kamwokya.
Ekanya said the Constitutional Court ruling, which nullified the Referendum Act 2000, emphasised that constitutionally, it was only standing committees which could scrutinise Bills.
The party’s first vice-chairman, Reagan Okumu, said the Government should enlighten the public that federalism was not a Buganda issue but a system that would keep resources in their areas.
“Ugandans must be educated that federalism is about keeping their hard-earned and God-given resources in their areas to benefit the local people,†Okumu said.
THE Reform Agenda (RA) has vowed to block the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2004, which seeks to give sessional committees of Parliament powers to scrutinise Bills.
The party’s secretary general, Geoffrey Ekanya, told the press yesterday that the party would work with “pro-democracy†MPs to ensure that the Bill is not passed.
“We are planning to challenge this Bill strongly and if the Government does not listen to our voice, we shall have a repeat of what happened in the sixth Parliament,†said Ekanya.
The Cabinet has introduced a Bill to amend Article 90 of the Constitution, which partly contributed to the nullification of the Referendum (Political Systems) Act by the Constitutional Court last month.
The amendment of article 90 is seen as precursor to the forthcoming major Constitutional Amendment Bill, which among other things addresses anticipated changes in the political system and the lifting of presidential term limits.
“The purported amendment is unconstitutional and if Parliament passes it, it will be challenged in court and nullified. The whole process will have wasted tax payers’ money,†Ekanya said at the party’s weekly press briefing at the head-office in Kamwokya.
Ekanya said the Constitutional Court ruling, which nullified the Referendum Act 2000, emphasised that constitutionally, it was only standing committees which could scrutinise Bills.
The party’s first vice-chairman, Reagan Okumu, said the Government should enlighten the public that federalism was not a Buganda issue but a system that would keep resources in their areas.
“Ugandans must be educated that federalism is about keeping their hard-earned and God-given resources in their areas to benefit the local people,†Okumu said.