MP moots law to nullify VP position

Ndorwa East Member of Parliament Wilfred Niwagaba is expected to move a motion seeking leave of Parliament to introduce a Private Member’s Bill with proposals to amend at least 30 Articles of the 1995 Constitution.

In the draft Bill, which Daily Monitor has seen, the Shadow Attorney General wants the office of the vice president removed and replaced by the Deputy President. In so doing, Mr Niwagaba also proposes that the Office of the Prime Minister be repealed.
Last Thursday, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga assured the House that Mr Niwagaba’s motion, which he has been pushing for a long time as government delayed to table electoral reforms, will be on the order paper for today.

This came after Mr Niwagaba insisted that any electoral reform would be meaningful if they are jointly processed with amendment of the Constitution.
He was reacting to the government’s decision to ignore the Constitutional Review process as Attorney General William Byaruhanga tabled five Bills seeking to amend electoral laws.
“Madam Speaker, the government has for a long time promised to table these Bills but there is nothing to do with amendment of the Constitution. May I please be allowed to table my motion seeking leave to introduce the proposals to amend the Constitution?” Mr Niwagaba requested.

The Speaker responded: “I am instructing the clerk to put your motion on the order paper for Tuesday so that if granted leave, your Bill will also be sent to the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee to be processed together with the government Bills,”
The Bills tabled by government are the Presidential Elections Amendment Bill No 17 of 2019, the Parliamentary Elections Amendment Bill No 18 of 2019, the Political Parties and Organaisations Amendment Bill No 19 of 2019, the Electoral Commission Amendment Bill No 20 of 2019 and the Local Government Elections Amendment Bill No 21 of 2019.

Other proposals
Mr Niwagaba also wants Article 99 (2) and 100 of the Constitution amended so that every presidential candidate is mandated to appoint a person who also meets the qualifications of standing for presidency to be his or her running mate and would automatically become Deputy President upon their victory.
In East Africa, Kenya is the model of that provision where President Uhuru Kenyatta has been elected twice with his running mate Dr William Ruto as Deputy President.

In addition, the MP has proposed Clause 14 for amendment of Article 108A by repealing the Office of the Prime Minister; Clause 12 to reintroduce two terms for the Office of President; Clause 19 to amend Articles 113(2) and 114 (3) to restrict the number of Cabinet ministers and other minister to 21, respectively.
The current executive has more than 80 ministers.

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