The debate into lifting the presidential age limit 75-year cap has reached a crescendo, with protagonist Raphael Magyezi making fresh demands to have the assigned Committee disbanded.
While addressing journalists this afternoon, a furious Magyezi, the Igara West MP attacked some Committee members for being biased, fearing he may not receive a fair hearing when he appears before the committee.
“The members should have the intuition to say let me reserve my fears and expressions. But if you have come out in the public and you are a member of the Committee, then they should withdraw or let the Committee be reconstituted so that we have an objective Committee,” Magyezi said.
It should be recalled that after tabling the Constitutional Amendment Bill No2 2017, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga referred the Bill for processing to the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.
The ruling party NRM boasts of 13 MPs, the highest number on the committee, while the Independent MPs are 6, with FDC and Democratic Party MPs have two members each.
But already a number of Members on the Committee have already taken their stand on the Bill with most of the opposition and independent MPs coming out to vehemently oppose lifting of the presidential age limit.
The decision by the Committee to exclude Jackson Kafuuzi from the Committee proceedings, yet he is a member of the Legal Committee, was what sparked off the bickering between the two sides.
The Committee reached this decision after Kafuuzi stood up to second Magyezi’s bill and motion, with the rules barring MPs with personal interest from taking part in Committee proceedings.
However, Magyezi has objected to the decision he also reserves the right not to appear before the same Committee with members biased against his Bill.
“I demand that there is independence of the Committee. I demand neutrality, objectivity, non-bias of the Committee,” Magyezi argued.
