Speaker, deputy okayed to resign in new rules

 Lawmakers have provided for voluntary resignation of a Speaker and deputy at any moment of their five-year term. The current rules of Parliament only provide for impeachment under rule 107.
The proposed changes in the rules of procedure are contained in the Rules and Privileges Committee Report to Parliament in which the lawmakers have proposed a raft of amendments.

The MPs have also proposed Shs3m as nomination fees for the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).  
The Rules Committee has also proposed to relax the requirements for nomination to the East African Parliament. 
Members will be required to collect only five signatures as opposed to 20 according to the previous rules. 
Parliament is reviewing its Rules of Procedure to improve house business and efficient transaction of the business of the House and its Committees.

In proposals submitted by the Committee of Rules Privileges and Discipline of March, the 11th Parliament will see changes and new rules in the composition of committees, nomination of EALA MPs, and the process of electing the Speaker. 
Every parliament establishes rules of procedure, which are guidelines on how members are to behave in parliament as well as how business should be conducted. The report states that Speaker Rebecca Kadaga directed a review on January 28.
In the proposed amendments, contenders for Speaker and Deputy Speaker roles will not be permitted to campaign publicly. The amendment, however, does not show the alternative method of canvassing for support.
 
“The committee received a directive from the House to make proposals on how to curb the use of foul language against different contenders for the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 11’h Parliament.  It, therefore, follows that public campaigns should not be permitted because there are high chances of hurting the dignity of the individuals concerned and in turn the institution of Parliament,” the report states. One maybe disqualified from the race if found to be involved in public campaign. 
This comes on the heels of numerous verbal exchanges between Speaker Kadaga and her Deputy Jacob Oulanyah, who are both eying the Speaker office. President Museveni in a meeting on Monday suspended the campaigns. 
The amendment will also increase the number of days for parliamentary sitting from three to four, including Mondays. 

This is aimed at creating more time for deliberations since the number of MPs has increased. Parliament has been sitting on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, which the committee contends will not be enough with an additional 72 legislators from new constituencies. 
The 11th Parliament will have 529 MPs, up from 457 in the current House. 
The increase in the number of legislators has also been fronted for the rule limiting each member to one committee of Parliament. This is with exception of the Business and Budget committees.  

Rule 154 on standing committees and sectoral committees previously offered a member the opportunity to belong to two committees, for a period of two and a half years. 
“This committee observes that in order to cater for the ramifications of the increasing number of MPs such as space constraints and exceedingly large numbers of MPs on each committee if the status quo remains the same, membership to committees should be limited to one committee per member with the exception of the Business Committee and the Budget Committee. The membership to each committee should be on an annual rotational basis,” the report states. 

Each committee of Parliament has a membership of 30. The powers of committee chairpersons to issue summons have also been cut in the amended procedures. “This provision contradicts Section 9 of Parliament (Powers, Privileges) Act, Cap 258 that provides for the Clerk to Parliament to sign the summons under the direction of the Speaker. The committee proposes that the Rules be amended to conform to the Act,”

If and when approved, the Prime Minister, who is the leader of business in government, will be mandated to issue a statement of government plans in the coming week every Thursday, the last day of parliamentary week. 
This will improve the quality of debate with legislators being acquainted with the topic.
Although the provision has been in place, the committee contends that it has not been adhered to.

“The committee observes that the Rule is currently inactive, and this limits the participation of Members of Parliament in debates of the House because they are not given opportunity to sufficiently prepare for Parliamentary Sittings. The Committee proposes that the Rules should be amended to make it mandatory for the Clerk to ensure that Rule 28 is reflected on the order paper of every last sitting day of the week,” the report states.