Choosing Speaker not a battle - Chief Whip

The Government Chief Whip, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, has called for calm ahead of the election for the Speaker of the 11th Parliament, saying the House should not treat the race as a battle but a consensus. 
Ms Kadaga is vying for the seat with her deputy Jacob Oulanyah and Opposition Chief Whip Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda. 

“I call upon everybody to stay calm. This is not a battle and it is not a do or die. We are looking for a presiding officer and if anybody talks against your candidate, that is his or her right,” Ms Nankabirwa told a meeting of the Uganda Parliamentary Press Association yesterday. 

The outgoing Kiboga District Woman MP re-echoed her earlier stance on the race, saying the ruling NRM party’s top policy-making organ, the Central Executive Committee, will have a big decision to make on who becomes the next speaker.

Ms Nankabirwa added that as it was the case in 2016 when Mr Oulanyah was asked by CEC to allow the status quo remain, there are still going to be discussions, including vetting the names of whoever will have expressed interest in becoming speaker or deputy speaker. 

She said her offence last week was because MPs in Ms Kadaga’s camp portrayed it as if she was canvassing votes for Mr Oulanyah when she posted a “reminder about 2016 CEC decision” in the WhatsApp group that was  formed to coordinate those who voted in favour of the removal of the presidential age limit in 2017.

“People are now expressing interest and for NRM, they know everyone will be subjected to appear before CEC, which will go through names and then harmonise to ensure the party is not bruised.  The thing remains a fact that there were negotiations,” Ms Nankabirwa said. The debate, which saw tempers flare in the House, also attracted the National Vice Chairman of NRM, Mr Moses Kigongo, who condemned the way CEC was dragged into discussions in what he described as a “wrong forum”. 

“It is my considered opinion that democracy is exercised reasonably while discussing matters of national importance. Parliament has its mechanism for the election of a Speaker. NRM has its mechanism of conducting business. Rule 4(1) of NRM code of conduct prohibits a member of a leader of the NRM to use a wrong forum in addressing pertinent issues,”  Mr Kigongo stated in his March 11 press release.

However, Ms Nankabirwa, who insists was never given ample time to defend herself in Parliament, said yesterday that she has never understood the message in the press statement issued by Mr Kigongo,.
 “I think it was done in a rush and until CEC sits, I may not understand it,”  she said.

Ms Nankabirwa also said the newly elected NRM legislators will soon be invited for a retreat at the National Leadership Institute, Kyankwanzi, for induction.
She said the retreat, which is being organised by the party’s secretary general, Ms Justine Kasule Lumumba, will be held before they are sworn in. 

New entrant
Meanwhile, the list of MPs who are interested in replacing Mr Oulanyah as Deputy Speaker has increased to eight with the latest being Buyaga East MP Eric Musana. 

Mr Musana, who has been serving his first term as a member of the NRM caucus, now returns as an Independent after losing the party primary elections in September.
Mr Musana said he wants to change the public perception about Parliament by bringing the institution nearer to the people.  

“We can take key events of Parliament such as State-of-the-Nation-Address or Budget speech out of Kamapala. We can also convene upcountry to pass an important Bill. This will increase interaction between Ugandans and the legislature,” Mr Musana said.