House in mini-recess, a week after returning

Lawmakers this week returned to Parliament from a one-and-half-month recess, all set for the final year of the Ninth Parliament.

But even with a packed schedule lying before them, NRM legislators are heading to the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi for eight days. Opposition party whips are, however, concerned that the retreat coincides with the time for House debates and is in essence going to paralyse the work of Parliament.

They argue that the ruling party MPs had all the time to organise their retreat during the long Christmas break but chose to set dates that interfere with the House schedule. Their NRM counterparts on the other hand, however, insist that the Kyankwanzi meeting has been summoned in good faith and its outcomes would benefit all Ugandans.

Ms Rebecca Kadaga, the Speaker of Parliament, announced at the close of the House session this week that Parliament would not sit since ministers would not be available to handle government business and to respond to the Opposition queries.

“We had a business committee meeting to discuss how to manage the coming week and we realised that the Cabinet members will not be there; the bulk of the back benchers will not be here and there will be a few members of this House alone with the Speaker.

So we think that it would not be fair to ask people to come when we are not going to be able to do anything. So I have adjourned the House to February 17 at 2pm,”said Ms Kadaga and as usual appealed to government to bring electoral reform proposals for debate.

The House rules of procedure require that quorum of Parliament shall be one third of all the MPs entitled to vote on any House matter, and with 385 MPs in the Ninth Parliament majority of whom are NRM (259), their absence denies quorum to the House.

Giving an assessment of the House’s business last year, Ms Kadaga accused government of frustrating House business when it tabled only 12 Bills of the expected 54 Bills to which government admitted and blamed it on lazy ministers. The Speaker faulted government for interfering with the Parliament’s official calendar by holding parallel meetings when the House is in session, saying it paralyses business.

While the NRM is free to hold its party activities at any time, they had the entire January within which to hold their conference to avoid clashing with the Parliament calendar. It is one year to the general elections and the Electoral Reforms Bill has not yet been brought to the House to facilitate a smooth electoral process.

And before Parliament are several pending Bills that have not been debated and passed. Ministers should wake up and put national issues before self by giving Parliament more business and in a timely manner.

That aside, Opposition MP Michael Lulume Bayigga (Buikwe South) is seeking leave of Parliament to introduce a Private Members Bill; the Presidential Transition Bill he says is aimed at promoting the orderly transfer of the Executive power upon the expiry of the term of office of a president and the inauguration of a new one.

The MP observes that the Constitution only provides for the Office of the President, procedure of election of the president, procedure of challenging a presidential election, tenure of office of the president and the procedure for his removal and nothing on the orderly transfer of power upon expiry of his term in office and the consequential inauguration of a new president.

Interestingly, his request for leave was blocked by an NRM MP who put up a spirited fight, saying it was uncalled for. Ms Kadaga, however, deferred the controversial debate on the matter and said a way forward will be reached after dialogue between the MP and government.

Deputy Attorney General Fred Ruhindi and the minister for Lands, Daudi Migereko, said the issue is under discussion within the membership of Ipod (Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue).

MPs this week while debating the motion moved by Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Ssekikubo, called for investigations into the activities of the Uganda Land Commission as a way of putting an end to the rampant land grabs in the city.
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