MP Lumu wants elections to determine Leader of Opposition

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parliament has granted leave to the Democratic Party’s (DP) Richard Lumu, the Mityana County Legislator, seeking to introduce a private member’s bill allowing all opposition members to elect the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Parliament.

Lumu tabled the motion entitled The Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2024 on Thursday during the regional plenary session at Kaunda Playgrounds in Gulu city. The proposed bill also seeks the revision in the process of electing the Chief opposition whip in the Parliament.

Section 8 cap 272 of the Administration of Parliament Act, provides for the election of the leader of the opposition by the party in opposition to the government having the greatest numerical strength in Parliament.

Lumu however raised concerns about how the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament is elected which excludes other opposition political parties represented in Parliament, yet a leader of the opposition superintends to all members of the opposition in Parliament.

Justifying the motion, Lumu explained that election is a pillar of democracy yet the current legal framework in Parliament doesn’t permit the participation of the opposition members in Parliament in their governance through the election of their leader.

Lumu says even the position of the Pope, the highest position in the Catholic Church is elected adding that every five years in Uganda, the election is conducted for the Presidency. He wondered why the same election couldn’t be done for the opposition leader in Parliament.

National Unity Platform’s (NUP) Michael Kakembo, the Entebbe Municipality Legislator while seconding the motion says the motion will help the opposition legislators in consolidating unity and respect.

“I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt, Right Honorable Speaker and colleagues, 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’s wrong with that? I am standing here to second this motion, Right Honorable Speaker, in good faith,” says Kakembo.

But Philip Okin Ojara, Chua West Member of Parliament questioned whether it was to amend the Parliamentary Act which he describes as one of the best practices being carried out not just in the Parliament of Uganda but in other Parliaments within East Africa.

“When you look at the entire structure of the Parliament, we have not had even a situation, for example in Uganda, where the ruling government elects their party chief, where we have the Prime Minister being elected, or the Ministers even being elected. So, this motion is trying to present to us, the members of Parliament, is very dangerous,”

Speaker of Parliament Anita Among however says the section of the administration of the Parliament Act, quoted by Lumu is not entrenched adding that he is just seeking leave which legislators don’t have the mandate to deny.

“The best we can do, if we are not in agreement with what the Honorable Member is saying, we follow this to the committee and fail it at the committee or fail it in the House when it comes for the second reading.

Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi, in his guidance, said the Lumu hadn’t challenged the law with the motion. He was consequently granted leave to introduce the bill with the Speaker instructing the Clerk to accord him necessary support to ensure the bill is tabled for the first reading.

Currently, Joel Ssenyonyi, a member of the National Unity platform with the majority opposition representation holds the position of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.  He replaced Mathias Mpuuga as the seventh LoP since the country’s return to the Multiparty dispensation in July 2015.

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