Bugabula County South MP Henry Maurice Kibalya, a member of Team Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, says he and others will defy the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) pick Jacob Oulanyah as flag bearer.
Both Kadaga and her deputy Oulanyah have expressed interest in the speaker seat.
In 2016, Oulanyah, now her deputy for 10 years, stood down to allow Kadaga serve two terms as she had requested.
But when this matter came up in Parliament, Kadaga ruled that a 2016 NRM CEC decision was not binding on the House in a democratic society.
Now, Kibalya says President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni should ‘reward’ Kadaga with another term for helping remove the presidential age limit.
“We are disappointed with the NRM party as well. The party has failed to appreciate Kadaga and yet she put up a fight for the amendment of the constitution to remove the age limit clause,” complained Kibalya during a TV weekend politics show.
Kibalya also told off CEC to stop meddling in parliamentary affairs.
“Why are people turning parliament into a kingdom and deciding who and how we will be ruled. No, we shall settle everything in the ballot box and will not allow CEC to decide for us,” he continued.
“Why is NRM forcing on us a decision they made during a CEC meeting in 2016? They should not choose for us. “Fine, the CEC sat in 2016 and decided, we were never communicated to such a decision and we shall proceed as we desire.”
The MP further blasted government chief whip Ruth Nankabirwa for planning to impose Oulanyah on the Parliament she won’t sit in as an elected representative of the people.
“The MPs who won’t be in the next parliament are the ones making a mess of the whole thing. Ruth Nankabirwa is actually one of the people to blame for this mess, she is insisting on this matter even before the next parliament convenes,” stung Kibalya.
Additional translation: Courtesy
