Members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) meeting at Parliament have today passed a motion to amend the presidential age limit.
According to sources, one of the NRM MPs will table ‘a private members bill’ before Parliament, seeking to change the age cap from the constitutional 75-year limit as enshrined in Article 102(b) of the 1995 Constitution.
At meeting chaired by MP for Bubyangabu county Adolf Kasaija Mwesige, the motion was moved by Kyaka County MP Jackson Rwakafuzi, and adopted by all present, except the Kumi Womam legislator, Monica Amoding.
“Chairperson, when you invited us here, I didn’t know the meeting was about article 102. I believe this is a pompous discussion” Ms Amoding reportedly said, adding that Kumi they need some time to consult Ugandans. She also said that the few NRM MPs should not decide for more than 37 million Ugandans.
If passed by Parliament, the bill might see President Yoweri Museveni rule beyond May 2021, when his last 5-year constitutional mandate expires.
The debate to lift the age cap has elicited sharp criticism, with the Democratic Party recently launching the ‘Kogikwatako’ campaign urging Ugandans to resist any attempts to remove the presidential age cap from the Constitution.
In power for 31 years now, in 2005 President Museveni rallied NRM MPs to change the 1995 Constitution, removing the two-year term limit.
Earlier, Museveni had the National Resistance Council (NRC) extend his rule that was backed by ‘Legal Notice No. 1’ of 1986, beyond 1990, a time line that had been set to hold elections.
