Party control kills independence - MPS
Left to right: Mr Baregu Mwesigu from Tanzania shares a light moment with Masindi District Woman MP Jalia Bintu as Bugahya MP Pius Wakabi looks on during the introduction of MPs at Imperial Royal Hotel in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO BY E. DOMINIC BUKENYA.
Parliament- As work in the 10th Parliament starts shaping up, MPs have raised issues with the practice of political parties designating committee leaders and commissioners, saying it is undemocratic as it infringes on the members’ rights to choose their leaders.
During the ongoing post-election seminar, the MPs also expressed disgust with the ever present shadow of party influence through whips, saying that too gags free flow of thought and expression in Parliament.
They want the practice to cease and if it can be reversed through the return of the Movement system, some argued, then a proposal will be made when a chance for constitutional reforms comes up.
“The indicators of democracy is electioneering. You give people powers to decide on who should be their leader and that’s how we come to Parliament. If we were to have designations in the constituency, we would be in real tatters,” former house commissioner, Ms Jalia Bintu (NRM, Masindi), said.
“That way of handling issues and even imposing leaders on members like in committees is just designation and you can’t elect your leaders within the committee like other parliaments of the Commonwealth, the party designates membership of committees and the members elect from among themselves the leaders but here, they are designating everyone. Now, where is democracy, really?” Ms Bintu asked.
Ms Bintu reminisced over the past that in the Movement political system, one had the democracy of articulating and airing out their concerns on the floor and everyone would be given an opportunity to contribute and then consensus would be generated.
“But under multi-party dispensation, you first discuss in the caucus and even if you had a genuine concern but the party doesn’t want it and doesn’t agree with you, they will take an omnibus position and you have to agree and vote according to it in the house yet you would be stepping on your voters feet,” he said.
Currently, political party leaders choose MPs who sit on the Parliamentary commission, a body concerned with the MPs’ welfare. The parties also choose the chairpersons and deputy chairperson of the different house committees, not to mention representatives to the regional and continental parliaments.
Buliisa County MP, Stephen Biraahwa Mukitale, however, asked MPs to “wake up and stop being naïve” because there are no functional political parties but “a revolution only interested in retaining power through any means”.
