Kategaya warns over army MPs
Apr 29, 2005
FORMER first deputy prime minister Eriya Kategaya has warned that army MPs may negate their obligation to remain non-partisan if they participate in open voting during the amendment of the Constitution.
FORMER first deputy prime minister Eriya Kategaya has warned that army MPs may negate their obligation to remain non-partisan if they participate in open voting during the amendment of the Constitution.
Hamis Kaheru reports that Parliament recently passed a motion by Kassanda South MP Nyombi Tembo that scrapped secret voting and replaced it with open voting (Roll-Call).
Under the roll-call system, the Speaker calls out the name of each MP who stands up and answers ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to indicate whether he/she supports a proposed amendment.
Kategaya said the system poses a problem because it is difficult to know whether the army MP’s answer on controversial issues like lifting term limits (kisanja) is a personal stand or that of UPDF.
He said “non-partisan†means UPDF should protect those who support kisanja and those who don’t. He said army MPs could not vote freely like other MPs because they were a special group.
“I request Hon. Amama Mbabazi, the Minister of Defence, to condescend and throw some light on this issue of roll-call voting in Parliament and how the representatives of UPDF are supposed to behave, without negating the Constitutional obligation of remaining non-partisan as per article 208(2) of the Constitution,†Kategaya said in a statement.
He said if the UPDF took sides and stopped being non-partisan, the Movement would be repeating what UPC did in the 1980 elections and thereafter when the army was assumed to support UPC in Parliament.
But the minister of state for defence, Ruth Nankabirwa, said army MPs cannot be partisan because voting on constitutional amendments will be done under the Movement.
“We are not going to vote along party lines. We are still in the Movement. This issue would arise under multipartyism where an MP is supposed to support a political party, unless you went to Parliament as an individual,†she said.
She said UPDF representatives were not compelled to support government positions because only ministers were compelled to do so under collective responsibility.
Kategaya said, “It is important that UPDF remains respected and loved by, if not all Ugandans, at least by the majority whether some believe in kisanja or not. In other words, the UPDF should remain an army of Uganda as opposed to being an army of NRM organisation.â€
Hamis Kaheru reports that Parliament recently passed a motion by Kassanda South MP Nyombi Tembo that scrapped secret voting and replaced it with open voting (Roll-Call).
Under the roll-call system, the Speaker calls out the name of each MP who stands up and answers ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to indicate whether he/she supports a proposed amendment.
Kategaya said the system poses a problem because it is difficult to know whether the army MP’s answer on controversial issues like lifting term limits (kisanja) is a personal stand or that of UPDF.
He said “non-partisan†means UPDF should protect those who support kisanja and those who don’t. He said army MPs could not vote freely like other MPs because they were a special group.
“I request Hon. Amama Mbabazi, the Minister of Defence, to condescend and throw some light on this issue of roll-call voting in Parliament and how the representatives of UPDF are supposed to behave, without negating the Constitutional obligation of remaining non-partisan as per article 208(2) of the Constitution,†Kategaya said in a statement.
He said if the UPDF took sides and stopped being non-partisan, the Movement would be repeating what UPC did in the 1980 elections and thereafter when the army was assumed to support UPC in Parliament.
But the minister of state for defence, Ruth Nankabirwa, said army MPs cannot be partisan because voting on constitutional amendments will be done under the Movement.
“We are not going to vote along party lines. We are still in the Movement. This issue would arise under multipartyism where an MP is supposed to support a political party, unless you went to Parliament as an individual,†she said.
She said UPDF representatives were not compelled to support government positions because only ministers were compelled to do so under collective responsibility.
Kategaya said, “It is important that UPDF remains respected and loved by, if not all Ugandans, at least by the majority whether some believe in kisanja or not. In other words, the UPDF should remain an army of Uganda as opposed to being an army of NRM organisation.â€