Uganda’s Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP), Winnie Kiiza has urged Ugandans to reject the motion passed by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) legislators seeking to remove the constitutional age caps.
Winnie made this call in a Facebook post a day after legislators and Ministers passed a motion to kick out the age limit from the constitution.
Below is her statement.
The noble framers of The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda 1995(as amended) had impeccable foresight about the future of our country.
A number of “safety valves” were put. These have been tampered with time and again. The only safety valve that is and was remaining is thus the Age Limit.
We call upon Ugandans to resist that motion as it may plunk the country into a situation that may not be good for all of us whether in Government or opposition.
What favours you today may not favour your son or daughter tomorrow. We must act for the general public good in our mandate of holding this country in trust for those coming after us.
For God and My Country.
During a party caucus consultative meeting held on Tuesday at Parliament Conference Hall, 245 MPs agreed to table a Private Members Bill in parliament seeking to amend Article 102(b) of the 1995 Constitution.
Kumi Woman MP Monica Amoding was the only dissenting voice as her colleagues overwhelmingly endorsed the proposal tabled by Kyaka South MP Jackson Rwakafuzi.
The MPs resolved in the next one week to seek leave of parliament to present the private members bill.
Igara East MP Raphael Magezi, who was mandated by MPs to spearhead the consultation process, states that the legislators resolved that Article 102(b) be amended without any influence, adding that they consulted with their people. Magezi says people should be allowed to stand for office and should not be limited by their age.
