Parliament has granted leave to Mityana South MP Richard Lumu to introduce a Private Member’s Bill to provide for the election of Leader of the Opposition.
The LoP will be elected by members of the opposition in Parliament.
In July 2005, Uganda transitioned from the Movement political system to a multiparty political system through a national referendum.
The adoption of the multi-party system of governance saw the amendment of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda to create the office of Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and subsequently, in 2006, the amendment of the Administration of Parliament Act, Cap. 272 to provide for the office of Leader of the Opposition.
He claims that whereas section eight of the Administration of Parliament Act requires the Leader of Opposition in Parliament to be determined through an elective process, currently a Leader of the Opposition is merely designated by the party with the highest numerical strength among opposition parties in Parliament and is simply imposed on the members of opposition in Parliament without their will and consent.
He said suffice to note is that there are various political parties in opposition with representation in Parliament, including the Democratic Party, Forum for Democratic Change, Uganda People’s Congress, Justice Forum, and People’s Progressive Party, and the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Opposition Whip superintend all members of the opposition in Parliament. However, the current manner of election of Leader of the Opposition in Parliament has not only led to the suppression of the views of other opposition political parties in Parliament but also made it impossible.
“There is a need to amend the Administration of Parliament Act, Cap. 272 to allow the participation of all members of the opposition in Parliament in the election of a Leader of the Opposition and Chief Opposition Whip in Parliament in order to achieve effective representation,” he said.
Lumu wondered why the Catholics can vote for the Pope, Ugandans vote for a President, and MPs elect a Speaker, while the Leader of Opposition and Chief Opposition Whip are exempted from the same democratic principles he says they claim to profess to.
Speaker Anitah Among ruled in favour of Lumu, asking the disgruntled MPs to reject Lumu’s bill on second reading if they so wished.
“Much as we are sitting in Gulu, this is a normal sitting. And as I said, let us not act in anticipation; there is no fight. The law isn’t made for one person, today I may be the leader of opposition, and tomorrow another person will be the leader, but I don’t see any fight in this thing, and you can reject it when it comes to the second reading. We shouldn’t deny a member his right, which is enshrined in the constitution.” Among said.
