Where is the honour in some of our MP’s ?
Aug 17, 2010
A sworn in Member of Parliament (MP) is known as ‘honourable’ in society. Their office and the public demand a high standard of conduct from the MPs for the honour conferred. This title elevates the MPs to a level where their conduct cannot be private anymore.
A sworn in Member of Parliament (MP) is known as ‘honourable’ in society. Their office and the public demand a high standard of conduct from the MPs for the honour conferred. This title elevates the MPs to a level where their conduct cannot be private anymore.
They become accountable to the people they represent for every deed. They have a constitutional duty to maintain the dignity and image of Parliament during the sittings in the House as well as in the acts and activities outside Parliament.
We have, recently, witnessed a negative shift from the expected behaviour of our legislators in many disturbing developments. The stand-off between the deputy speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga and some MPs was ugly. Some of our legislators broke the door of Parliament instead of maintaining its dignity and respect. Moments later the honourable member was quoted verbatim by a daily tabloid thus: “I made a personal decision to use force. I want it on the record, I am the one who broke the door.†The Parliament should be more respectable than that.
It is the power house of law and democracy. Yet a member abuses it and he receives a standing ovation from other members.
Another MP tried to usurp the Speaker’s authority by stealing the ceremonial mace. Where is the honour?
To steal the mace is treason and an act of war. Shortly after the legislators melodrama a woman MP played the judge and jury when she slapped a suspect under police custody over child abuse.
The MP forgot about the assumption of innocence till proven guilty. Then MP Odonga Otto allegedly drew a gun at a poor pump attendant at a petrol station.
Another one slaps a dignified LC5 chairperson of Mbarara for hobnobbing with the electorate that he claimed belonged to him. Then came the Lwemiyaga fracas where an MP clashed with polling assistants and 13 people were injured while another was shot in the stomach.
The MP and his bodyguards hijacked the mandate of the Police to enforce law and they started shooting at people.
Theodero Sekkikubo reportedly manhandled a senior police officer deployed to do his job. Later, the unfortunate officer was interdicted for “failure to deliverâ€. Implying, it is criminal to stand in the way of an MP.
An MP is the people’s representative and they look up to him and are bound to emulate him, especially when it comes to construing and obeying the law.
Honour connotes a respect for self, others, the law and peace. We vote for academically able people because the battles in the House are not of the muscle, but rather of intellect.
It is shameful to see people that should use their brains using their muscles to correct wrongs. This nation boasts of a trustable legal framework.
The legislators know better that it is possible and mandatory to address any grievances in courts of law. We should not create a class of untouchable hooligans as we did in the army in past regimes. It is a recipe for anarchy.
The writer is an economist/accountant
They become accountable to the people they represent for every deed. They have a constitutional duty to maintain the dignity and image of Parliament during the sittings in the House as well as in the acts and activities outside Parliament.
We have, recently, witnessed a negative shift from the expected behaviour of our legislators in many disturbing developments. The stand-off between the deputy speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga and some MPs was ugly. Some of our legislators broke the door of Parliament instead of maintaining its dignity and respect. Moments later the honourable member was quoted verbatim by a daily tabloid thus: “I made a personal decision to use force. I want it on the record, I am the one who broke the door.†The Parliament should be more respectable than that.
It is the power house of law and democracy. Yet a member abuses it and he receives a standing ovation from other members.
Another MP tried to usurp the Speaker’s authority by stealing the ceremonial mace. Where is the honour?
To steal the mace is treason and an act of war. Shortly after the legislators melodrama a woman MP played the judge and jury when she slapped a suspect under police custody over child abuse.
The MP forgot about the assumption of innocence till proven guilty. Then MP Odonga Otto allegedly drew a gun at a poor pump attendant at a petrol station.
Another one slaps a dignified LC5 chairperson of Mbarara for hobnobbing with the electorate that he claimed belonged to him. Then came the Lwemiyaga fracas where an MP clashed with polling assistants and 13 people were injured while another was shot in the stomach.
The MP and his bodyguards hijacked the mandate of the Police to enforce law and they started shooting at people.
Theodero Sekkikubo reportedly manhandled a senior police officer deployed to do his job. Later, the unfortunate officer was interdicted for “failure to deliverâ€. Implying, it is criminal to stand in the way of an MP.
An MP is the people’s representative and they look up to him and are bound to emulate him, especially when it comes to construing and obeying the law.
Honour connotes a respect for self, others, the law and peace. We vote for academically able people because the battles in the House are not of the muscle, but rather of intellect.
It is shameful to see people that should use their brains using their muscles to correct wrongs. This nation boasts of a trustable legal framework.
The legislators know better that it is possible and mandatory to address any grievances in courts of law. We should not create a class of untouchable hooligans as we did in the army in past regimes. It is a recipe for anarchy.
The writer is an economist/accountant