Peter Mulira has warned Government on changing constitution
Constitutional lawyers Frederick Ssempebwa and Peter Mulira have said changing the constitution against the will of Ugandans may plunge the country into chaos.
The senior legal brains in Uganda, who appeared separately on Tuesday before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee to give their views on the Constitutional Amendment Bill (No.2) 2017, warned the National Resistance Movement (NRM) over their remarks that they have the majority numbers in Parliament that gives them the leeway to change the constitution and pass any legislation.
Tabled by Igara West MP, Raphael Magyezi, the controversial Bill commonly referred to as ‘Age Limit Bill’ seeks to amend Article 102 (b) of the 1995 Constitution so as to allow persons below the age of 35 and those above 75 to contest for President.
Ssempebwa was the first to appear the Committee and warned NRM MPs of paying loyalty to party positions at the expense of citizens.
“Over time, hard positions have been made based on party loyalties and the constitution shouldn’t be based on party loyalty where members say that I will not support that position because I will be whipped by the party, even when you think it is in the best interest of the country,” Ssempebwa argued.
He added:“If Government decides to trample on the rights of one section of the people through the majority it enjoys that would amount to tyranny by the majority and the result will be chaos such as we are witnessing today in our country.”
On his part, Mulira said NRM saying they have majority numbers in Parliament doesn’t make sense especially when it is not in the interest of majority Ugandans.
Oh,its good opinion – l would agree with Prof Ssempebwa Fredrick’s opinion that Term limit is more meaning full than age limit