Mao asks Speaker Kadaga to resign over age limit

KAMPALA: Democratic Party (DP) president Mr Norbert Mao has asked the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga to resign for “illegally suspending Members of Parliament over Presidential age limit Bill.”

Addressing the media at DP’s weekly press conference in Kampala on Tuesday, Mr Mao condemned the manner in which Members of Parliament were ejected from the House even before the expiry of the 30 minutes that the speaker had given.

Last Wednesday, Ms Kadaga suspended 24 legislators who allegedly participated in the Tuesday fracas that forced her to adjourn the sitting to Wednesday. Ms Kadaga also suspended the State Minister for Water, Mr Ronald Kibuule for allegedly bringing a gun into the chambers of Parliament.

The suspended MPs, most of whom were opposition legislators opposed to the scrapping of Article 102 (b) on age limit from the Constitution, refused to vacate the Chambers of parliament forcing Ms Kadaga to suspend the sitting.
“When you suspend members you’re supposed to follow a certain procedure which includes asking the sergeant at arms to remove members peacefully and the sergeant at arm was nowhere to be seen,” Mr Mao said.

Mr Mao added that if the members do not move peacefully the sergeant at arms is supposed to report to the speaker and after the speaker is supposed to announce to the entire house that the use of force is now necessary but the speaker did not follow any procedure.

“Kadaga is now gone as far as national politics is concerned and that’s exactly what president Museveni does; destroying several politicians and I do not know why people do not learn from others,” Mr Mao said.

He added that the speaker did not condemn Mr Kibuule for entering parliament with a firearm which is more dangerous.

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