Age Limit: Opposition MPs Threaten Legal Action Over Flouting of Procedure

Dokolo Woman MP, Cecilia Ogwal has joined other opposition legislators to criticize the manner in which Parliament Speaker Rebecca Kadaga conducted the debate on the Age Limit Bill. Ogwal has threatened to drag the Speaker to court over her gross violation of the established rules of procedure.

While addressing a press conference with other opposition MPs on Monday, Cecil Ogwal said that the Constituent Assembly (CA) which promulgated the constitution and ensured that safeguards were established to avoid a one man rule.

“I was in the CA and the biggest challenge was how we would keep out of the constitution any element that would entrench a one man rule and the CA came up with the term limit and am sure those that removed it, today they are regretting,” Ogwal told journalists.

The legislator noted that during Monday’s deliberations, the opposition endeavored to avoid any thing that would cause violence and avoided legal challenges which we know.

“But if these people had listened, we would have avoided litigation in the future but unfortunately, we have been given another job we have to go to court and challenge some of these illegalities.”

She cited the Referendum Act which was passed illegally and was later challenged in court and was overturned.

“So, I can only tell you that this illegality that we are trying to entrench this time is going to cause another litigation.”

She said that she expected the the Speaker to behave much better than she did on Monday.

Bugweri county MP Abdu Katuntu accused Kadaga of tampering with a national consensus in a highly partisan manner, similar to sentiments raised by Busiro East MP, Medard Ssegona.

Earlier during the plenary, several other MPs in opposition questioned the procedure followed by Parliament including ignoring the requirement to start debate three days after the Bill is tabled.

They said this would offer them more time to internalize the report.