Democratic Party President, Nobert Mao has challenged the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga not to allow the passing of the controversial Age Limit Bill but rather insist on having a comprehensive constitutional review process.
Mao has asked Kadaga to use her authority to defend the constitution of Uganda against those seeking to repeal the Presidential age limit.
The DP President made the appeal on Tuesday as he launched the ‘Red Week’ campaign in protest of the Bill.
“Our MPs return to the same Parliament presided over by a week kneed and spineless Speaker. The same Speaker who invited members of of the Presidential Guard to invade the chamber of parliament, violate its sanctity and beat up members of parliament,” Mao told journalists at a press conference held at DP headquarters in Kampala.
“Today we challenge the Speaker of Parliament to rise to the high demands of her oath of office, to stick to her earlier ruling and throw out the Bill and insist on comprehensive constitutional reforms to be discussed in an inclusive manner.”
Mao said that Speaker Kadaga had a chance today to redeem her “tattered image”. “Don’t be a sausage!” Mao said, making reference to the Speaker.
In the wake of the first tabling of the Bill, the Opposition bashed Kadaga for yielding to pressure from the ruling party and contradicting her earlier position against a piecemeal approach to constitutional amendments.
Meanwhile, Mao has made fresh calls to the public to wear red attire to vent their dissatisfaction towards the passing of the Bill.
“Let us all wear red. That is our simple but powerful way of saying NO to the treacherous and treasonable plot by parliament to usurp the sovereignty of the people.”
He said that the ‘Togikwatako’ red campaign which was launched by DP in July this year has turned out to become the strongest uniting factor for Ugandans who he said were previously divided by narrow interests.
“The Red Ribbon symbolizes this new identity. An identity that transcends our narrow confines of party, tribe and religion. It an assertion of power,” he said.
Mao is set to lead a protest march to Parliament later today but Police has already deployed near the DP headquarters to block the march.
On Monday the Police Spokesperson SSP Emilian Kayima warned opposition politicians planning to hold protests to stay away from Parliament saying they had not notified police.
