KAMPALA – Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah has pronounced a new term for the current backbench members of the Parliamentary Commission with NRM maintaining all its members and only FDC bringing on a new face.
In a motion tabled by Ruth Nankabirwa, Government Chief Whip, the NRM side that has three slots on the Commission maintained Peter Ogwang, Robinah Nabanja and Arinaitwe Rwakajara as Commissioners earning the team a second term in office.
On the opposition side, Harold Muhindo, Deputy Leader of Opposition took to the floor to nominate Francis Mwijukye a pronouncement that sealed the fate of Cecilia Ogwal ending her term to the Commission.
Asked by Oulanyah whether there were no other nominations from the ruling party, Nankabirwa said those are the only names approved by the party’s Central Executive Committee, a move the left the trio with no competitors and the same argument was fronted by Muhindo on FDC side.
Odonga Otto attempted to put up a fight remarking that the decision made by the Party leaders was fraudulent saying yesterday’s attempt to amend Rules and Privileges of Parliament was intended to cure mischief to allow MPs elect their own commissioners instead of having leaders lumped on them by party leaders.
He said the amendment was intended to avoid a situation where some people seated somewhere and nominates a specific person and then avoids Parliament exercising its right of an election.
Otto said: “I am being discriminated I have given notice to FDC that I am leaving the party so who will nominate me now? I need an opportunity for this House to have me elected if I can find other means for nomination. They have just nominated people, supposing the House doesn’t want them? This House should elect its Commissioners and for the purpose of elections, the number of people nominated should be more than the available positions. What is happening now, this is a fraud.”
However, Oulanyah informed Parliament that both parties had been nominated unopposed arguing; “The general rule that governs elections is that at the closure of nomination, even the parliamentary if you are nominated and nominations are closed, you are nominated alone, it is still an election but you are declared elected unopposed. In this case, the procedure that we adopted which we passed yesterday is to the effect. There are no more nominations from the government and opposition and in the absence of this, I declare the members elected unopposed.”
