NRM legislators resolve to remove presidential age limit
The MPs during the meeting at Parliament on Tuesday. Photo by Alex Esagala
KAMPALA- Members of Parliament subscribing to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party on Tuesday passed a resolution to move a motion in Parliament on Thursday, this week, to amend the Constitution and remove the upper age cap on a prospective president.
The current Constitution provides, among other requirements, that only persons aged 35-75 years are eligible to stand and be voted as president.
As NRM legislators were voting to support the lifting of age limit clause from the Constitution, a group of party supporters marched in Kampala to support the move. Photo by Abubaker Lubowa
The incumbent Yoweri Museveni is 73-years-old and is, under the current Constitution, ineligible to stand in 2021 when Uganda is scheduled to hold its next presidential and general elections.
Some Independent MPs attended Thursday’s Caucus of the ruling party and voted in favour of the resolution. Only MPs Monicah Amoding (NRM; Kumi) and John Baptist Nambeshe (NRM; Manjiya) opposed the resolution. They stormed out of the room where the MPs were meeting when the matter went to vote.
As NRM supporters were marching to support the lifting of the age limit clause from the Constitution, some of them used the opportunity to steal valuables from pedetrians on Kampala streets. Photo by Abubaker Lubowa
Proponents of the resolution say one of the lawmakers subscribing to the NRM, a backbencher and not a minister, will on Thursday seek leave of Parliament to introduce an omnibus Private Member’s Bill to amend Articles 102 (b), 108(3a) and 108(4).
