MPs pessimistic about new term extension proposal

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT A new proposal by the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee to reintroduce the extension of the term of Parliament from the current five to seven years has been opposed by a section of legislators.

The proposal, which had been approved by Parliament as part of the recent constitutional amendment process, was thrown out by the constitutional court and later the Supreme Cour.  The judges argued that the MPs needed to seek a fresh mandate from the voters and that the term extension could only happen under specific circumstances like the State of Emergency.

Now the Legal and Parliamentary committee has reintroduced the amendment and included a suggestion to extend the term of the president, saying five years was not enough to conclude the manifesto of the President.  

The legal committee report follows scrutiny of a bill introduced by Ndorwa East MP Wilfred Niwagaba to reinstate presidential term limits, create the office of the Deputy President, remove the office of the Prime Minister, and remove army representation in parliament, among others.

Although the committee rejected the other proposals, it endorsed the suggestion for the reinstatement of term limits, which, however, they say, should be extended beginning 2021. “For Presidential term limits to be meaningful, the presidential term has to be sufficient enough to enable the President to implement and fulfil his or her manifesto,” the committee said.

However many MPs have opposed the proposal before it even comes to the house saying it does not hold and comes at a volatile time.

Wilfred Niwagaba, the presenter of the private member’s bill said that by introducing the term extension as part of his Private Member’s Bill, the Committee is exhibiting selfish interests. He also doubts if the move by the committee will work, since the court made a detailed decision about the same in 2018 and adds that the committee ought to focus on the proposal to reinstate term limits and not introduce an extension of terms.          

Dan Wandera Ogalo, who was the lead counsel representing age limit petitioners cautioned that Parliament can’t overturn the court decision. He said that some of the circumstances one can extend the life of Parliament is a state of war or a state of emergency.

“There are certain preconditions which must exist before you extend your period. And if you are to extend it, you extend it for only six months at a time, so you cannot come from five months to seven years,” he says.

Kilak South MP Gilbert Olanya says that it is risky for MPs to make this proposal saying that it looks like they are planning to evade elections, even though the proposal is to have the move implemented after elections.

Dokolo South MP Felix Okot Ogong says that nothing was referred to the committee on the extension of the term and the committee cannot insert new proposals by itself. He says the term of the President also requires a referendum and as of now, the elections are already in the corner. 

James Acidri, the MP for Maracha East says that the fresh proposal is in bad faith. He says extending the term to seven years would be contrary to the spirit of East African integration were all states already have a five-year term.

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