Parliament commissioners to be elected-Kadaga rules

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Four parliamentary Commissioners will be elected by the house as opposed to being nominated by parties, the Speaker ruled on Tuesday.

The Parliamentary Commission is the highest decision making body of parliament. It of the Speaker of Parliament, the Deputy Speaker, the Leader of Government business, the Leader of Opposition and Finance Minister and the four commissioners. In the past 2 years, the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM party has been appointing three Parliamentary Commissioners leaving one slot for the Forum for Democratic Change-FDC, the leading opposition party.

However, last week, the Busiro East MP, Medard Lubega Ssegona questioned the legality of the appointment of the four Commissioners. In her communication to parliament on Tuesday, the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, said the appointment of the commissioners was an oversight, which needs to be worked on.

Kadaga told the house that she studied the constitution, administration of parliaments act, and rules of procedure of Parliament and found that there must be elections after the nomination of candidates by the Government and opposition.

According to the Administration of Parliament act 2006, article 2 (b), nomination of candidates for election to the Commission of the four members of Parliament shall be made by the Government and opposition sides.

Kadaga says the house is designated as a constituent college for the purpose of the election of the nominated candidates.

She argues that although the provision of rule 11 (4) of the rules of procedure provides for designation and resignation as opposed to elections, she said this contravenes the administration of Parliament act.

Both the Government chief whip, Ruth Nankabirwa and the Opposition Chief Whip, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda questioned the way forward, since they had already nominated candidates to the Commission.

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