Govt crippling Parliament work - Kadaga

Kampala.
As Parliament breaks off for Christmas recess, the Speaker of Parliament yesterday accused the Executive of frustrating House business.

Ms Rebecca Kadaga and her deputy Jacob Oulanyah while giving a wrap-up of Parliamentary business in the last six months during a press conference yesterday, said government had at the beginning of the session said it would table before Parliament 54 Bills which they have not.

Parliament has since the beginning of the 8th Parliament debated and passed only 12 Bills into law while three Bills were rejected by President Museveni and returned to Parliament for further scrutiny.

“The Leader of Government Business at the beginning of the fourth session had a list of 54 Bills he hoped to bring to Parliament but quite a number have not yet been brought. We do hope that as the fourth session closes in by May, they will have brought in the pending Bills,” Ms Kadaga said.

Asked what they intend to do if the Executive does not bring the pending Bills, Ms Kadaga said: “For as long as they bring them, we shall handle them and if they do not, we shall do our business.”

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.

Government admitted that ministers have not brought to Parliament business.

“The Speaker is right because we have written to ministers and sent reminders to them to bring business in Parliament but they have not responded and the Prime Minister have sent reminders but we have received no response from them,” Ms Kasule Lumumba, the government Chief Whip, said.

Ms Kadaga also announced new measures to check absenteeism in Parliament. “This session, we suffered lack of quorum. We expect to introduce the biometric system by February .. where MPs would be expected to clock in and out,” she said.

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