Bwanika goes to court to block age limit debate in parliament

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Three opposition leaders have petitioned court to block the “age limit” debate that is set to resume in parliament today.

Dr. Abed Bwanika-People’s Development Party, Asuman Basalirwa- JEEMA and John Ken Lukyamuzi- Conservative Party petitioned the High Court in Kampala on Monday, seeking orders stopping parliament from proceeding to discuss constitution ammendments, that include changing article 102(b)  regarding lifting of the presidential age limit, without first consulting citizens through a referendum.

They argue that it’s only through a referundum that citizens can fully participate in the political affairs of their country. The three opposition leaders say the Electoral Commission and Uganda communications Commission have since frustrated their efforts to ably push for a referendum.

Bwanika states he received a form to collect the required 1.5 million signatures, but this process was frustrated by police that arrested his agents and confiscated over 40, 000 signatures, making it impossible for him to submit them on time to parliament, which is set to debate on the matter this week.

He contends that unless court orders that Parliament temporarily suspends discussing the Age limit amendment bill, the citizens rights to directly participate in the governance of their country will be violated. They filed the case through their lawyers Ladislus Rwakafuuzi and Luyimbazi Nalukoola.

Its against this background that the three want court to compel the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to provide a code on which they can collect signatures, and also compel the Electoral Commission to accept and consider the said signatures for purposes of holding a referendum.

However the Court’s Deputy Registrar in charge of Civil Matters Sarah Langa, was not at court to quickly allocate the case file to a judge for hearing, since all Judicial Officers were attending an extra ordinary meeting in relation to their salary increment demands made to government in July this year.

This comes as the much-anticipated debate on the removal of the presidential age limit returns on the floor of parliament on Tuesday following the completion of a report on consultations regarding the bill done by the legal and parliamentary affairs committee. The report by the committee chaired by Jacob Oboth Both (West Budama) is expected to be tabled and debated before voting on the bill.