DP Wants LOP, Chief Opposition Whip Elected By All Opposition MPs

Parliament of Uganda has granted, Democratic Party’s Richard Lumu (Mityana South), leave to present a Private Member’s Bill, where he is seeking to have all Opposition Members of Parliament participate in the election of their Leader of Opposition and Chief Opposition Whip, as opposed to having such individuals imposed on them by the main Opposition Party in Parliament.

 Lumu wondered why the Catholics can vote the Pope, Ugandans Vote for a President, and MPs elects a Speaker, while the Leader of Opposition and Chief Opposition Whip are exempted from the same democratic principles he says they claim to profess to.

“Election is the epitome of democracy, I am a Catholic, there is an election of the Pope, the highest and respected leader in the world, if there is an election there, there must be an election here. We are in the Opposition, we were elected and we also elected you (Speaker), the very reason why you are seated in that seat. We also elect the President therefore, there is no reason why when we come to Parliament as the Opposition, we don’t elect our leader who is the Leader of Opposition,” argued Lumu.

“It is important that the pillar of democracy, which is election should actually be done by us the Opposition, who are actually bout to take power. We need an election, clear, in the Opposition. Section 8 of the Administration of the Parliament Act Cap272 provides for the election of the Leader of Opposition by the Party in Opposition having the greatest numerical strength in Parliament. The Rules also say that other parties should be consulted, my Party has never been consulted on that whenever there is a new or the other Leader of Opposition,” added Lumu.

However, Okin Ojara (Chwa West) disagreed with Lumu’s argument saying the status quo hasn’t posed any challenges noting, “The current arrangement in Parliament is working appropriately because when you look at the entire structure of Parliament, we haven’t had a situation in Uganda where the Ruling Government elects their Party Chief Whips, where we have the Prime Ministers being elected, so this motion that he is trying to present is actually very dangerous.”

National Unity Platform's Michael Kakembo (Entebbe Municipality) while seconding Lumu’s motion argued that there is nothing wrong with Opposition MPs voting their own leader, saying such a move will ensure the current culture of the Leader of Opposition thinking that they own all Opposition MPs.

“I am convinced that this move is going to give us more unity as the Opposition, and respect for each other. Let us vote for our leaders, what is wrong with that? I am standing here to second this motion in good faith, it will help us, it will build us more because unity of the Opposition means strength of the Opposition and respect for each other. I must participate in the electing of my leader as the Opposition,” said Hon Kakembo. 

However, Speaker Anita Among ruled in favour of Lumu asking the disgruntled MPs to reject Lumu’s Bill on second reading if they so wish remarking, “Much as we are sitting in Gulu, this is a normal sitting. And as I said, let us not act in anticipation, there is no fight. The law isn’t made for one person, today I may be the Leader of Opposition, tomorrow another person will be the leader, but I don’t see any fight in this thing and you can reject when it comes to the second reading. We shouldn’t deny a member his right which is enshrined in the constitution.”