New law to clip FDC wings in Parliament

KAMPALA. A controversial private Member’s Bill has kicked up a storm at Parliament as it proposes a raft of contentious amendments that will water down the powers of the Forum for Democratic (FDC) in choosing Opposition leaders in Parliament.
The Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2019, proposes to remove the powers of appointing a Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP), Opposition Chief Whip, Deputy Opposition Chief Whip from FDC and to open the processes to elections where all Opposition MPs will participate as voters.
As the Opposition party with majority MPs in Parliament, FDC currently enjoys these privileges.
If the law, which is sponsored by Kabale Municipality MP (Independent) Andrew Baryayanga, is passed, all these previleges will be stripped from FDC.
The only silver lining for the Opposition under the Bill is a proposal to create a new office of Deputy Leader of Opposition.
“The manner in which the LoP is designated and removed is not transparent. This has led to the subjugation of the views of other Opposition political parties in Parliament. It has made it impossible for the Opposition members to hold the accountable and has resulted in the LoP not enjoying security of tenure,” reads the objective of the Bill.
Backbench commissioners; one from the Opposition and three from the NRM will also be elected, a section of the Bill that has equally rattled Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa.
The proposed Bill does not give details on how election of bank bench commissioners will be carried out. The Bill also seeks to entrench the Office of the LoP to a five-year term, breaking away from the current system law that allows the FDC to change LoP as and when the party wishes.
Appointments to these lucrative positions in Parliament have since 2005 been used by successive FDC party presidents to reward allies and punish dissenters and attempts to erase this privilege have not gone down well with officials in Najjanakumbi.
The Bill also seeks to create the office of a Dean of Independents who shall be designated by the Speaker in consultation with Independent MPs.
Opposition Chief Whip Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda yesterday said the Bill is unconstitutional as it seeks to create a party of Independents under a multi-party system and contains proposals that are against the Commonwealth parliamentary practice. He declared that FDC will fight it.
With the Bill before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Bill, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga wants it handled within a week to forestall potential locking of horns between MPs and Parliament.