Special interest groups to be represented in EALA

PARLIAMENT- A heated debate heralded a vote in Parliament to scrap the provisions of party consensus in the consideration for elections of members to the East African Legislative Assembly.

The passed amendment provides for the accommodation of special interest groups in compliance with demands of the Equal Opportunity Commission.

“The Speaker shall ensure that the members elected under Rule 12, in as much as is feasible, represent the various political parties represented in the House, shades of opinion, gender and other special interest groups in Uganda,” reads the amended provision.

The replaced clause provided for such elections to “be conducted after consultations and consensus by the political parties and other Members of Parliament.”

Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, the government chief whip, told Daily Monitor that the scrapping of the consensus gives breathing space to the ruling National Resistance Movement with majority numbers in the House, saving it from court battles over EALA polls.

“Now all the power lies in the hands of the Speaker, there is no more need for consensus as has been the case… we are now going to sit with the Speaker and see whether to maintain the status-quo (on numbers) but putting into consideration, the interest groups,” Ms Nankabirwa said.

The status-quo grants six out of the nine EALA slots to the ruling party, 2 to the Opposition and only one to independents.

With the independents coming as second to the NRM in the composition of the 10th Parliament, debates remains on whether the Opposition will stage a fight to retain their slots or retain a single slot.

“I cannot be certain but I guess the independents will not just sit and watch,” said Ms Nankabirwa.

Shadow Attorney General Wilfred Nuwagaba said that the decision was in respect to the 2012 ruling of the East African Court of Justice where Anita Among (Independent-Bukedea) then an EALA candidate for the Opposition Forum for Democratic Change challenged the aspect of consensus, which consensus was provided for after the election and held no relevance to aggrieved parties

“We have virtually transplanted the Article (50) and the treaty into our rules to restate the fact that the members elected must represent the various political parties represented in the House, shades of opinion and interest groups in the country,” Mr Nuwagaba said.

However, Mr  Nuwagaba added that to achieve the new resolution there must be rigorous consensus prior to the elections given the current dynamics.

“This business of numerical strength, yes can be a factor but it shouldn’t be a major consideration because of course; the ruling party has the majority but if it wants all Ugandans to adopt the spirit of EAC  then the business of winner takes it all should not apply,” he said.

The 10th Parliament has has MPs from the ruling National Resistance Movement,   the Forum for Democratic Change, the Democratic Party and Uganda People’s Congress as well as a sizeable number of Independents.

There are four interest groups representing Workers, Women, the Youths and People with Disabilities.

This implies that for effective representation of the groups in Parliament, each group will send only one representative to the regional Assembly.

However, NRM law makers objected to the idea of one member per group saying it would give a wrong reflection to the party with majority vote in the country.

“When we vote the EALA MPs, they represent Uganda…if you give only one representative to the NRM then you ignore the majority aspect of representation,” said Mr Maurice Kibalya (NRM-Bugabula South)

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