No cash for parties without MPs - PM
Dec 16, 2008
Political parties without representation in Parliament will not be funded, the Prime Minister, Apolo Nsibambi, has said.
By Mary Karugaba
Political parties without representation in Parliament will not be funded, the Prime Minister, Apolo Nsibambi, has said.
In a letter to Parliament’s legal and parliamentary affairs committee, Nsibamabi said amending the Bill to provide for funding to all the parties’ would be unconstitutional.
The committee is currently scrutinising the Political Parties Funding Bill 2007 that provides for Government funding to parties.
In a November 18 letter to the committee and copied to the Speaker of Parliament, the Attorney General and party presidents, Nsibambi clarified that the Government’s funding of political parties and organisations is provided for in the Constitution.
“Am afraid the committee on legal and parliamentary affairs can’t amend the Bill to cater for Government funding to all parties.
“To do so, would offend article 93 of the Constitution,†Nsibambi said.
He was responding to Peoples’ Development Party president Abed Bwanika and Forum Integrity in Leadership president Emanuel Tumusime’s submission to the committee that all parties, irrespective of their representation in Parliament, should be equally funded.
They proposed that funding should instead be based on registration.
Appearing before the committee during the debate on the Bill, Bwanika and Tumusiime said restricting funding only to those represented in Parliament would be unfair given the fact that they are registered and recognised by the Electoral Commission.
They said some of the parties had representatives at the grassroots and, therefore, should be funded.
“In the circumstance, I would advise your parties to work hard and secure representation in Parliament,†responded Nsibambi.
Athough Bwanika said he had not received Nsibambi’s letter, he vowed to take the Government to court once the law is passed.
“We have had meetings with Nsibambi and he promised that Parliament would decide. I am surprised that he has changed the position,†Bwanika told the committee chairman, Stephen Tashobya, after being told that their requests would not be possible.
Tashobya said the committee’s report, yet to be presented to Parliament for debate, would take into account the submission by all concerened entities.
Political parties without representation in Parliament will not be funded, the Prime Minister, Apolo Nsibambi, has said.
In a letter to Parliament’s legal and parliamentary affairs committee, Nsibamabi said amending the Bill to provide for funding to all the parties’ would be unconstitutional.
The committee is currently scrutinising the Political Parties Funding Bill 2007 that provides for Government funding to parties.
In a November 18 letter to the committee and copied to the Speaker of Parliament, the Attorney General and party presidents, Nsibambi clarified that the Government’s funding of political parties and organisations is provided for in the Constitution.
“Am afraid the committee on legal and parliamentary affairs can’t amend the Bill to cater for Government funding to all parties.
“To do so, would offend article 93 of the Constitution,†Nsibambi said.
He was responding to Peoples’ Development Party president Abed Bwanika and Forum Integrity in Leadership president Emanuel Tumusime’s submission to the committee that all parties, irrespective of their representation in Parliament, should be equally funded.
They proposed that funding should instead be based on registration.
Appearing before the committee during the debate on the Bill, Bwanika and Tumusiime said restricting funding only to those represented in Parliament would be unfair given the fact that they are registered and recognised by the Electoral Commission.
They said some of the parties had representatives at the grassroots and, therefore, should be funded.
“In the circumstance, I would advise your parties to work hard and secure representation in Parliament,†responded Nsibambi.
Athough Bwanika said he had not received Nsibambi’s letter, he vowed to take the Government to court once the law is passed.
“We have had meetings with Nsibambi and he promised that Parliament would decide. I am surprised that he has changed the position,†Bwanika told the committee chairman, Stephen Tashobya, after being told that their requests would not be possible.
Tashobya said the committee’s report, yet to be presented to Parliament for debate, would take into account the submission by all concerened entities.