Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa has been named the opposition candidate in the Speakership race. Basalirwa beat Erute County South MP, Jonathan Odur who polled 49 to 20 votes respectively.
Basalirwa will face-off with Anita Annete Among who the National Resistance Movement (NRM) through its Central Executive Committee (CEC) nominated as their party candidate for speakership race.
The election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament is scheduled to take place tomorrow at Kololo Independence grounds.
The position of the Speaker fell vacant following the demise of the Speaker Jacob Oulanyah. Oulanyah died on 20th March 2022 in Seattle, USA where he was admitted in February this year. Oulanyah’s body is expected to be repatriated this week.
According to Article 82 (2) of the constitution of Uganda the Speaker and Deputy Speaker shall be elected by members of Parliament from among their number. Article 82 (4) of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda that refrains Parliament from conducting any other business other than the election of the Speaker at any time that office is vacant.
Article 82(3) stipulates that a person shall not be qualified to be elected a Speaker or Deputy Speaker if he or she is a Vice President or a Minister.
In tandem, the NRM has urged its members who intend to stand for the office of the Deputy Speaker to pick expression of interest forms ahead of tomorrow’s event.
