OPPOSITION FAILS TO BLOCK THE DEBATE OF THE AGE BILL

By Francis Lubega

The Opposition has today failed to block the presentation and debate on the Constitutional Amendment (No.2) Bill, 2017 in the parliament but manage to cause its postponement.

A group of those opposed to the Presidential age limit amendments stormed out of parliament for 30 minutes in protest over the conduct of the NRM MPs as the house reconvened in the afternoon

The protest was sparked off by the NRM MPs’ decision to stay standing in the chamber while debating a move that was in contravention of the parliamentary rules of procedure and the Leader of Opposition LOP Winfred Kizza prayed to those who shared a similar concern to leave parliament.

The move was escalated by the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga’s inconsiderate reply to Kizza’s point of order that seemed to support NRM MPs action to stay standing on their chairs and immediately when those opposed to the move went out, NRMs occupied the entire parliament.

In the morning session Kadaga suspended six MPs from attending 7 sittings over indiscipline.

Those suspended include Ntungamo Municpality MP Gerald Karuhanga, Erute South MP Jonathan Odur, Kiira Municplaity’s Ibrahim Ssemujju ,Allan Sewanyana of Makindye West, Kawempe South MP Mubarak Munyagwa and Kilak North’s Anthony Akol.

The MPs had put a spirited move to challenge the presenting of the report on the Constitutional Amendment (No.2) Bill, 2017 by the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee Chairman Jacob Oboth Oboth taking the speaker on point over a number of issues herself barred MPs from discussion since they were with the East African Court.

Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda and the leader of opposition Winfred Kizza almost took the floor for the entire morning session insisting that the parliamentary business on the bill was in prejudice to the court.

The bill was today placed for the 2^nd and 3^rd reading consecutively and parliament especially the NRM members wanted to pass it today and break for Christmas festival but it was not possible and the house was postponed to tomorrow.

Among other proposals presented in the report by the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee Chairman Jacob Oboth Oboth is lifting the presidential age limit and the extension of term of office for all leaders in the political elective positions from 5-7year.

Parliamentary business was conducted under tight security of both the civil and military police reportedly to counter any incident that would interruption parliamentary business and according to The Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander Frank Mwesigwa they had intelligence reports that there were a group of people who planned to destabilize the city and parliamentary which forced them to deploy heavily than usual.