MPs seek to halt debate on Bill
Apr 06, 2005
The lawyer for Miria Matembe, Abdul Katuntu and Ben Wacha yesterday sought a Constitutional Court order restraining Parliament and its committees from further debate of the Omnibus Constitution Amendment Bill.
By Anne Mugisa and Hilary Nsambu
The lawyer for Miria Matembe, Abdul Katuntu and Ben Wacha yesterday sought a Constitutional Court order restraining Parliament and its committees from further debate of the Omnibus Constitution Amendment Bill.
The Bill, which seeks to amend about 115 articles of the Constitution, is currently under vetting by the legal and parliamentary affairs committee.
Peter Walubiri, representing the MPs, said the Bill seeks to usurp some powers of Parliament.
He said the Bill was seeking to unconstitutionally give the people powers to decide on all things. The petitioners were not in court.
Walubiri said the Constitution gives powers to Parliament to decide on certain issues, district councils to decide on others and the people to decide on others in a referendum.
He said that if the Bill is debated the way it is, it would deny MPs their right to vet each article.
He asked the court to declare the lumping together of the amendments as unconstitutional because it mixes up principals, merits and demerit.
The lawyer for Miria Matembe, Abdul Katuntu and Ben Wacha yesterday sought a Constitutional Court order restraining Parliament and its committees from further debate of the Omnibus Constitution Amendment Bill.
The Bill, which seeks to amend about 115 articles of the Constitution, is currently under vetting by the legal and parliamentary affairs committee.
Peter Walubiri, representing the MPs, said the Bill seeks to usurp some powers of Parliament.
He said the Bill was seeking to unconstitutionally give the people powers to decide on all things. The petitioners were not in court.
Walubiri said the Constitution gives powers to Parliament to decide on certain issues, district councils to decide on others and the people to decide on others in a referendum.
He said that if the Bill is debated the way it is, it would deny MPs their right to vet each article.
He asked the court to declare the lumping together of the amendments as unconstitutional because it mixes up principals, merits and demerit.