Pro Age-Limit MPs are new historicals - Museveni

President Museveni has applauded Members of Parliament (MPs) from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) who stood firm to support the passing of the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2017. Mr Museveni, speaking at a fete organized by NRM in celebration of the passing of the controversial bill in, Kiboga District, said the MPs now form the new breed of ‘party historicals’.

“I thank you very much for the heroic courage you exhibited, you are the new historicals now. Those who are intimidating you, we shall deal with them. No body right now can destabilize the peace of this country. Whoever wants to do it, he/she should buy poison and commit suicide because Uganda is ready to defeat whoever wants to destabilize the peace we enjoy,” the president said to 317 MPs on February 25.

At the same event, the ruling party leaders also launched a campaign dubbed “Align and Arrive” that will see them traverse the country to explain to the electorates why they should take part in a referendum to extend the presidential term of office from five to seven years. Guests were served a sumptuous meal and soft drinks. Some later took to the podium to dance.

Although the chairperson of organizing committee, Mr Samuel Mpiima declined to reveal how much money was spent to organise the fete, a source on the committee intimated to Daily Monitor that over Shs200m was spent.

NRM Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa, also the Kiboga District Woman MP, who was the chief organizer of the party, said she was optimistic that Ugandans will support the proposal to extend President Museveni’s tenure through a referendum.
“We are celebrating the heroes, the 317 Age Limit MPs, but also starting on another campaign that will take us to all the constituencies to explain what we passed and the referendum to extend the president’s term of office,” she said.

Out of the 410 legislators who were present in the House on December 20, 317 legislators, all subscribing to NRM, voted for the removal of the age limit from constitution against 97 while two abstained.
The latest amendment of the constitution is viewed by most commentators as an attempt to allow President Museveni, who will be 77 years, to contest again in 2021, when Ugandans go to polls. But Mr Museveni, who swiftly signed the controversial Bill into law on December 27 despite warnings from religious leaders and civil society, has on several occasions rubbished critics who claim that the age limit removal would create room for his life presidency, saying those harbouring such sentiments are Uninformed evil schemers who do not want Uganda and Africa to succeed.

In his New Year message to Ugandans on December 31, 2017, Mr Museveni wondered why some members of the political class, the clergy, academia and the media concentrate on ‘peripheral’ issues such as Age Limit and term limits instead of other developmental issues.