Prime
Govt, Opposition in talks to resolve Parliament impasse
Legislators during plenary chaired by Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa on October 19, 2023 PHOTO/DAVID LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Parliament deputy speaker Thomas Tayebwa also tasked the Minister of Finance to guide Ugandans on how to avoid being cheated out of their money in ponzi schemes.
- This follows reports that managers of Capital Chicken scammed and disappeared with more than Shs1.5b from Ugandans.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has revealed that discussions between the Opposition and government are underway to end the impasse in Parliament, and have the latter return to the House.
The Opposition legislators vowed not to return to Parliament citing the government’s alleged indifference to the multiple human rights violations meted out against their supporters and other Ugandans including extrajudicial killings and unilateral arrests.
Mr Tayebwa said the absence of the Opposition affects the operations of the House.
“We are incomplete when we aren’t all here, business can go on but I still register my discomfort with that, I would like to see our colleagues rejoin us so that we can have a dialogue on very critical issues that affect the nation,” he said.
He added: “All efforts are being employed and all attention is being given to ensure that we resolve the impasse that is between the two sides in the House. I have held several meetings with leaders on both sides. The progress should I say for now, some people look at it as slow, others feel we haven’t reached satisfactory progress, but we are facilitating dialogue between the two sides so that our colleagues can come back to the House.”
Mr Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, yesterday confirmed that he had met with Mr Tayebwa for a debrief on the progress made with the government side.
“I am yet to receive an invitation to listen to the government’s proposed approach to resolve the impasse. I’ll debrief the joint Opposition Caucus tomorrow. The Opposition laid down the conditions for return and we have not changed a letter,” Mr Mpuuga said.
On October 17, Mr Mpuuga led the Opposition to boycott, demanding full accountability for the November 2020 killings where 54 people lost their lives.
They have also called for accountability of all Muslims indiscriminately arrested, the 18 Ugandans confirmed missing by the Uganda Human Rights Commission, and accountability for all political prisoners in jail without trial.
The Leader of Opposition, however, rubbished the argument that a boycott is not an effective tool for solving the matter in addition to denying constituents services as “hollow and informed by ignorance of government procedures” .
“Nothing, not any government service compares with the right to life, we shall pursue representation from first principles,” he added
Ponzi schemes
Mr Tayebwa also tasked the Minister of Finance to guide Ugandans on how to avoid being cheated out of their money in ponzi schemes. This follows reports that managers of Capital Chicken scammed and disappeared with more than Shs1.5b from Ugandans.
“There is this one called Capital Chicken where people have lost over Shs2b. They are going on blatantly without any control. I want to refer this petition to you (Minister of Finance) so that you can guide the nation on how we can avoid these ponzi schemes. People can’t come and collect Shs2b and then disappear from nowhere as if we don’t have mechanisms of tracing them,” he said.
