The Democratic Party has today sued the Parliamentary Commission seeking for declarations of what happened in Parliament on September 27, when the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga suspended 25 MPs, citing indiscipline.
On the day Kadaga ordered 24 opposition MPs and one National Resistance Movement stalwart, the Water Resources State Minister Ronald Kibuule, not to appear in Parliament for three consecutive sittings after parliament descended into chaos following allegations by Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Semujju Nganda that Kibuule had sneaked a gun into the parliamentary chambers, in contravention of the rules.
The suspended opposition MPs are against lifting the presidential age limit that is capped at 75 years, with arguments that it is aimed at paving the way for a (Yoweri) Museveni life presidency.
The MPs who were suspended include Ssemujju Nganda, Allan Ssewanyana, Robert Kyagulanyi, Monica Amoding, Sam Lyomoki, Moses Kasibante, Betty Nambooze, Francis Zaake, Ibrahim Kasozi, Nzaavu, Gilbert Olanya, Muhammad Nsereko, Odonga Otto, and Winfred Nuwagaba and Nandala Mafabi.
Others are Medard Lubega Seggona, Joseph Sewungu, Gerald Karuhanga, Gaffa Mbwatekamwa, Florence Namayanja, Moses Kasibante Theodore Sekikubo, Barnabas Tinkasimire and Ms. Osege.
However, according to DP lawyer Alex Wasswa, suspending the legislators for what happened in the previous sitting contravenes with the parliamentary laws and procedures.
“Ejecting them from parliament in that manner was an illegality, Inspector General Police (IGP) Kale Kayihura has no business whatsoever in Parliament,” Wasswa said at the High Court in Kampala.
He also demanded that the Commission explain why the Special Forces Command (SFC) stormed the parliamentary chambers, evicted the opposition MPs and in the process injured Mityana Municipality legislator Francis Zaake Butebi and Soroti Woman MP Angelina Osege..
