KAMPALA–The battle to amend the Constitution to scrap Presidential age limits is making the NRM leadership have sleepless nights.
Marathon meetings are being convened to discuss how to win the battle.
PML Daily has learnt that tomorrow morning, NRM legislators are to meet at Prime Minister’s office to strategize on how to bring on board the party legislators fighting proposed amendment.
Solomon Silwany, the NRM caucus deputy chairman, however, said they are meeting to decide on how the MPs will handle consultations when they visit their constituencies.
The highly controversial bill is making some NRM legislators unpopular in their areas and some have been chased away from social functions.
Currently, there is tag of war on whether Article 102(b) of the Constitution should be amended, with Opposition figures arguing that the amendment is being done to promote life Presidency for President Museveni who will be 77 by 2012.
Anti age limit MPs speak out
MPs Patrick Nsamba and Barnabas Tinkasimire are among the legislators who admitted receiving calls inviting them for the meeting.
“I received phone calls from State House officials promising to provide social services in my constituency,” Nsamba revealed.
He, however, said he will not abandon his project of demanding President Museveni to retire in 2021.
“It is responsibility of Government to provide social services to its people. They are wasting their time, I can’t change my mind,” Nsamba, the Kassanda North MP, stated.
The State House through its spokesperson Don Wanyama denied calling any legislators to support the of the age limit.
Meanwhile, the Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa said Parliament will facilitate MPs to conduct consultations on the amending Article 102(b) of the Constitution.
“We shall be informed on how much each MP will get to go for the consultations,” Nankabirwa said.
But sources at Parliament revealed that each MP will be given Shs20m, much as the NRM legislators had demanded for Shs50m.
Opposition MPs like Ibrahim Semujju Nganda have openly made it clear that they will not take the money.
FDC takes on
After learning that Parliament was to facilitate MPs to conduct consultations on the age limit bill, FDC leadership petitioned World Bank officials.
The top leadership led by Nandala Mafabi is claiming that NRM government is going to use World Bank funds meant to run local project to finance age limit politics.
FDC Leaders who are in London want World Bank to stop funding the projects. By press time, the World Bank had not responded to the issues FDC raised.
