Olara Otunnu, the President Uganda People’s Congress-UPC is contesting the decision by Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the leader of the opposition in parliament to fire shadow ministers. Otunnu argues that Nandala has no right to fire shadow ministers. Last week, Mafabi sacked shadow ministers from DP and UPC following a dispute over the recently concluded East African legislative Assembly-EALA.
It all started after members of both parties backtracked on an agreement by opposition parties to boycott the EALA elections and nominated candidates. Opposition parties decided to boycott the EALA polls to compel the ruling National Resistance Movement to respect provisions in the EALA treaty that calls for the representation members of all shades of opinion.
However, DP and UPC secretly nominated two candidates who were elected successfully as EALA members of parliament. Both DP and UPC nominated Fred Mukasa Mbidde and Chris Opoka respectively. Nandala responded by expelling shadow ministers from both parties from his cabinet and warned of further repercussions.
Now, Otunnu the UPC president says that the opposition leader has no right to fire shadow ministers. Otunnu argues that previously the shadow cabinet was formed by the main opposition party in parliament. He however explains that before the current parliament started work opposition parties resolved to form a common platform which will then translate into a collective shadow cabinet.
Otunnu says that parties retain the decision to withdraw their members from the shadow cabinet.
//Cue in: And indeed in terms of…”
Cue out:…party to party arrangement.”//
The two parties have seven members out of the 27 members of the shadow cabinet. However, Nathan Nandala Mafabi referred Otunnu to the law, without divulging further details.
