Doing research and prior preparations on various topics can help opposition members of parliament to contribute positively to national policies, a local government ministry official has said.
Wilber Bateisibwa, the director in charge of training and capacity building at Uganda Local Governments Association said this while presenting a paper to Democratic Party MPs at Ridar Hotel in Seeta today, on the theme “political parties and the policy process in Uganda.”
Bateisibwa challenged members of the opposition to concentrate on making background research on various topics before contributing to national policies.
He said some of the proposals presented by opposition MPs reflect shallow empirical grounds and lack analytical rigor.
Matia Nsubuga, the DP secretary general said opposition MPs have the potential to generate and contribute to policies in regard to universal health services, environment, provision of affordable housing, and education.
Other policies include unemployment, agriculture and trade and industry. Nsubuga said each of the 12 MPs the party has in the ninth parliament has been tasked to become the party spokesperson on the various polices fronted in the house.
He however noted that DP legislators have been advised against contributing to controversial polices like abortion, and homosexuality.
Joseph Ssewungu Gonzaga, the MP for Kalungu West says in Africa, governments have relied on the ruling parties for policy formulation, regardless of the policy impact.
He says it is challenging to find the opposition playing its role of providing the checks and balances on failed policies.
He says in the 1960s, it took Tanzania 10 years to recognize that the UJAMAA polices were letting down the economy the way decentralization policy has failed to address the challenges of the local governments in Uganda.
