Opposition MPs to go to court over Aronda

Jul 22, 2013

Opposition MPs agree to seek legal redress in the Constitutional Court following the appointment and approval of Gen. Aronda Nyakairima as minister.

By Joyce Namutebi

KAMPALA - Opposition Members of Parliament have agreed to seek legal redress in the Constitutional Court following the appointment and approval of Gen. Aronda Nyakairima as internal affairs minister.

The former CDF officially joined Cabinet after taking an oath of allegiance on Saturday at State House, Entebbe.

“As the principal legal adviser of the opposition, I have instructions to file a petition in the Constitutional Court this week,” Abdu Katuntu, the FDC MP and shadow attorney general, said on Sunday.

“We are seeking an interpretation from the Constitutional Court in regard to the approval,” Katuntu added during a telephone interview.

Kasule Lumumba, the Government Chief Whip, said if the opposition does not agree with the decision taken by the appointments committee, going to court is the right decision.

On Thursday, the appointments committee of Parliament finally approved Aronda as minister, something which did not go down well with the opposition MPs, who later that day stormed out of plenary.

As a sign of dissatisfaction, the MPs said they were going to skip three plenary sittings. Katuntu explained that all the political parties represented in Parliament had agreed on the way forward.

He said the appointment and approval of Aronda is contrary to Article 1 of the Constitution as well as Article 208 on non-partisanship of the army.

He also cited Article 113 on functions of the Executive and Article 209 on functions of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces.

In earlier sittings of the appointments committee to vet Aronda, some members had insisted that he first resigns before he can take on a ministerial appointment.

They said a ministerial job is a political one, which the law bars serving soldiers from holdings.

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