A group of NRM MPs are mobilizing themselves to hijack the latest move by Western Youth MP, Gerald Karuhanga to restore and entrench presidential term limits in the Constitution.
Without a formal leadership at the moment, the legislators argue that without the NRM support in the House, Karuhanga’s motion would not pass through. They however say that the motion is important to the NRM interests as well.
On Thursday, the group spent most of the time in the corridors of parliament meeting and consulting each other and has agreed to meet the head of their party caucus to agree on how to move forward.
Simon Peter Aleper, the MP for Moroto Municipality, who is at the front of mobilizing his colleagues, revealed that he has so far met over twenty MPs within the NRM to bring them to support the debate to re-instate term limits in the Constitution. Aleper said he had already met a minister who wants him to meet the president and explain their move to him so that their plan is appreciated.
By Thursday morning, over 30 NRM legislators had already expressed interest in supporting the Karuhanga motion but said they would hijack it since they are the majority.
Some of them included Mulimba John, the Samia Bugwe North MP, Medard Bitekyerezo from Mbarara Municipality, Eddie Kwizera, the MP Busongora East, Arinaitwe Rwakajara, Workers’ MP, Omona Kenneth Olusegun, Kaberamaido County MP and Mike Mukula for Soroti Municipality. The MPs are, however, pushing for term limits for elective positions.
Aleper said that the move to re-instate term limits should not be viewed as a political confrontation but as an issue of the country’s democratic future. He said that he had discussed the matter with Karuhanga about a month ago and agreed on how to push through with the process, including using the ruling party numbers in the house.
Karuhanga has described the move by his colleagues from the NRM who want term limits included for MPs as diversionary. He said the debate should not be confused with that of an MP because MPs form an institution of parliament, as opposed to a president who has executive powers to make decisions for the country.
He said that he has for long, since his University days at Makerere, held the view that removing term limits from the Constitution by MPs of the 7th parliament was a democratic error.
Karuhanga on Thursday met the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga to explain his motion, in preparation for presentation next week.
Prime Minister and NRM Secretary General, Amama Mbabazi, has said he would wait for any party MP to give him notice of such a proposal before he knows officially what the MPs intend to move. He said until then, as a party they stand by the decision they took to remove the term limits from the constitution in 2005.
