Law commission disowns government constitutional reforms
L-R Uganda Law reform Commission secretary Lucas Omara and commissioners Vastina Rukimirana Nsanze and Dr Peregrine Kibuka while appearing before Parliament’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee yesterday over the electoral reforms Bill. PHOTO BY FAISWAL KASIRYE
Parliament- Lawmakers yesterday accused Cabinet of “smuggling” the Constitutional Amendments Bill, 2015, to Parliament and branded Justice minister Kahinda Otafiire “a liar” after Uganda Law Reform Commission (ULRC) disowned the Bill.
Shadow Attorney General Abdul Katuntu and other members on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee then concluded that because ULRC was not involved in the proposed constitutional reforms, the process was bungled by Cabinet as they promised to make observations in their report to Parliament.
“The proposed amendments did not go through Uganda Law Reform Commission yet the law says any amendments must go through this Commission. They smuggled the Bill to Parliament. What we have is a Cabinet Bill and the Justice minister lied to us that ULRC was considering more amendments which is not true,” Mr Katuntu said.
While Mr Otafiire was not available for a comment, he on Tuesday told MPs on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee currently scrutinising the Bill that all the proposals were considered by ULRC which first came up with the proposals on Judiciary and electoral proposals because of the time constraints.
The minister also told MPs that the ULRC was considering other proposals that were submitted by the public and that “they are expected to come in the electoral reforms.”
Disowned
However, when officials from ULRC appeared before the committee to give their views on the proposed constitutional amendments, they told MPs that they were not handling any other proposed reforms.
They also informed the MPs that they didn’t consult the people on the proposed amendments.
