Speaker asks opposition MPs to return to House
Feb 05, 2007
PARLIAMENT Speaker Edward Ssekandi has pleaded with opposition MPs to come back to the House.
By Mary Karugaba and Josephine Maseruka
PARLIAMENT Speaker Edward Ssekandi has pleaded with opposition MPs to come back to the House.
“Let us find ways of solving the problems together,†Ssekandi told The New Vision yesterday.
He, however, regretted their boycott, saying it was unfortunate they had taken such a decision.
Last week on Tuesday, opposition MPs walked out of Parliament protesting the continued detention of People’s Redemption Army (PRA) suspects and the abuse of human rights.
The MPs vowed to boycott Parliament until the Government addresses the issue of human rights abuse.
Although the MPs are in their offices at Parliament, they have refused to attend the plenary sessions.
Asked whether it is in order for Parliament to continue conducting business without the opposition’s contribution, Ssekandi retorted, “It is not against the law. The remaining MPs do not only belong to NRM because there some independents.â€
Opposition Chief Whip Kassiano Wadri, however, scoffed at the Speaker’s plea, saying they were not about to return to the House.
“We are not about to return to the House unless the issues we raised have been addressed. It’s not about the PRA suspects only. There are other human rights issues that should be addressed.â€
He asserted that one of the reasons was the Executive’s usurping of the other arms of Government.
“Each organ of Government should be able to work independently. But the way things are conducted, the Executive wants to be everywhere,†Wadri said.
He added that on several occasions the legislature has passed a number of resolutions which the Executive has refused to honour.
In another development, prison authorities barred a group of journalists from entering Luzira Prison, forcing opposition MPs to abandon a scheduled visit.
The journalists had joined the over 30 opposition MPs on a fact-finding tour of the prison, which included the women’s section, Murchison Bay and Upper Prison where the PRA suspects are kept.
Led by the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Prof. Morris Ogenga Latigo, the MPs were received at the gate by the Assistant Commissioner, Jack Karuragyire. They were asked to register prior to entering the prison premises.
On realising that they had a group of journalists accompanying them, Karuragyire told the MPs that he was under instruction not to allow any journalist into the prison without clearance from either the Minister of Internal Affairs or the Commissioner General of Prisons (CGP).
A hot argument ensued, with MPs demanding which law Karuragyire was applying to bar journalists from covering public servants on an official visit that would help improve the state of inmates and prisons staff.
Karuragyire replied, “There is no such law in the Prisons Act but we are applying the rules and regulations of the Prisons. We are not allowed to permit photographers and journalist to cover anything in the prisons without clearance by the minister or the CGP.â€
PARLIAMENT Speaker Edward Ssekandi has pleaded with opposition MPs to come back to the House.
“Let us find ways of solving the problems together,†Ssekandi told The New Vision yesterday.
He, however, regretted their boycott, saying it was unfortunate they had taken such a decision.
Last week on Tuesday, opposition MPs walked out of Parliament protesting the continued detention of People’s Redemption Army (PRA) suspects and the abuse of human rights.
The MPs vowed to boycott Parliament until the Government addresses the issue of human rights abuse.
Although the MPs are in their offices at Parliament, they have refused to attend the plenary sessions.
Asked whether it is in order for Parliament to continue conducting business without the opposition’s contribution, Ssekandi retorted, “It is not against the law. The remaining MPs do not only belong to NRM because there some independents.â€
Opposition Chief Whip Kassiano Wadri, however, scoffed at the Speaker’s plea, saying they were not about to return to the House.
“We are not about to return to the House unless the issues we raised have been addressed. It’s not about the PRA suspects only. There are other human rights issues that should be addressed.â€
He asserted that one of the reasons was the Executive’s usurping of the other arms of Government.
“Each organ of Government should be able to work independently. But the way things are conducted, the Executive wants to be everywhere,†Wadri said.
He added that on several occasions the legislature has passed a number of resolutions which the Executive has refused to honour.
In another development, prison authorities barred a group of journalists from entering Luzira Prison, forcing opposition MPs to abandon a scheduled visit.
The journalists had joined the over 30 opposition MPs on a fact-finding tour of the prison, which included the women’s section, Murchison Bay and Upper Prison where the PRA suspects are kept.
Led by the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Prof. Morris Ogenga Latigo, the MPs were received at the gate by the Assistant Commissioner, Jack Karuragyire. They were asked to register prior to entering the prison premises.
On realising that they had a group of journalists accompanying them, Karuragyire told the MPs that he was under instruction not to allow any journalist into the prison without clearance from either the Minister of Internal Affairs or the Commissioner General of Prisons (CGP).
A hot argument ensued, with MPs demanding which law Karuragyire was applying to bar journalists from covering public servants on an official visit that would help improve the state of inmates and prisons staff.
Karuragyire replied, “There is no such law in the Prisons Act but we are applying the rules and regulations of the Prisons. We are not allowed to permit photographers and journalist to cover anything in the prisons without clearance by the minister or the CGP.â€