By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
Opposition Stalwart, Dr. Kizza Besigye has spoken out on a new move to have the Leader of Opposition elected by Opposition Members of Parliament.
On Thursday, 29th August, 2024, DPs MP Richard Lumu, was granted permission to introduce a Private Member’s Bill entitled, “The Administration of Parliament Amendment Bill, 2024”
The Bill among others, seeks to revise the selection of the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Parliament.
The LoP, who is accorded the status of a cabinet minister is elected by the party in opposition to the Government having the greatest numerical strength in Parliament according to the Administration of Parliament Act.
During the plenary sitting on Thursday, 29 August 2024 at the Kaunda Grounds in Gulu City, Lumu stated that the manner of election of the LoP as it stands, excludes other opposition political parties represented in Parliament and yet the LoP superintends over all of them and even selects the shadow cabinet from among them.
He said the same also applied to the Government Chief Whip cognisant of the need to entrench democratic principles in electing the LoP and Chief Opposition Whip as representatives of the Opposition in Parliament.
Although there are five Opposition parties with members of Parliament in the House, which include the National Unity Platform (NUP); Forum for Democratic Change (FDC); Uganda People’s Congress (UPC); Democratic Party (DP) and Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), only the National Unity Platform chooses the LoP and the Chief Opposition Whip. This was the same case when the FDC had the majority of MPs in the opposition.
Lumu, a member of DP, said that if the President and Speaker are elected, there is no reason why the members of the opposition in Parliament do not elect their own Leader of the Opposition.
Besigye has however, come out strongly to oppose the move saying it defeats the principle of multiparty democracy.
FULL STATEMENT VERBATIM
The principle of multiparty democracy is that a majority party forms government and (majority) opposition party forms a shadow government.
The shadow government should, ideally, be formed by one party- not all parties in opposition! This is because they offer alternative policies to those of govt and different parties have different policies. Uganda has a hybrid of a parliamentary and presidential system.
Leader of Government business in Parliament is appointed by the President; so, Leader of Opposition has to be appointed by the “shadow” president.
If there was to be an election of LoP, it should be by only MP of party forming a shadow cabinet. If the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Parliament is elected by MPs of main “Opposition” party, then, logically, the Leader of Government business would, similarly, be elected by MPs of “ruling” party!
Hon Ssegona had moved the same motion in the last parliament, unhappy about FDC appointing LoP; when his party now, NUP, became the main opposition party, he was comfortable with what he was unhappy about!
Unfortunately, in Uganda today, there’s no democracy, let alone, a multiparty system! This is what all well-meaning “opposition” MPs should be fighting for. Regrettably, most are preoccupied with getting benefits in the NRM/M7 Junta rule- Shame!
