The Parliamentary Rules, Privileges and Discipline Committee has recommended that the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament should be held by members of different political persuasions.
Discussing draft rules and procedures of the 8th Parliament, majority of the members of the committee agreed that the new Speaker of the 8th Parliament should be elected from the majority party in the House, while the Deputy Speaker should be a member of one of the opposition parties.
This was proposed by Rakai Woman Member of Parliament, Sarah Kiyingi, who said that the new arrangement would promote a good relationship between government and the opposition in the House.
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The committee chairperson, Ben Wacha, concurred with Kiyingi saying that the success of the Multi party Parliament will depend on how much members are willing to negotiate thereby eliminating friction.
But Nakasongola County MP Muruli Mukasa was against the proposal saying it is not practical because it might widen the areas of conflict in the business of Parliament instead.
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The Speaker is elected by the parliament and is its highest-ranking officer. Apart from performing duties related to heading the House and his or her political party, the Speaker also performs administrative and procedural functions, and remains a representative of his or her constituency.
