Parliament has no mandate over age limit - Bwanika

Former presidential candidate, Dr Abed Bwanika, has said he will not appear before legal and parliamentary affairs committee to give his views on the Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2017.

The Bill, tabled by the National Resistance Movement lawmaker, Raphael Magyezi (Igara West), seeks among other issues to scrap the presidential age limit from the Constitution.

"I heard they would invite us, but I am not going there. I have no business with that legal committee. Parliament has no mandate over the specifications of a President.

It should be the people of Uganda and that is where I want to go," Bwanika said.

Bwanika was speaking to New Vision about his move to collect signatures for a referendum on whether or not to lift the upper presidential age threshold.

"Who told Magyezi to table the Bill because I went around in the campaigns in 2016; I am not aware that the people of Igara told Magyezi that when he reaches Parliament he should change the Constitution, especially Article 102 (b)," Bwanika said. 

Bwanika, who heads the People's Development Party and has contested for Uganda's presidency thrice without success, said so far what they have seen, is that the people of Uganda do not want to change that clause. 

The committee, chaired by West Budama South MP (independent), resolved recently to invite all former presidential candidates to give their views on the controversial Bill. 

One of those invited was Bwanika, who was last week given the go-ahead to collect signatures by the Electoral Commission. 

The committee will start on October 30 to scrutinise the Bill that also seeks to amend Article 104 (6) to increase from 20 to 60 days the number of days within which EC is required to hold fresh polls if a presidential election is annulled.

It also seeks to provide 15 days, up from 10, after the declaration of presidential election results, within which the results can be challenged.