Parliament has approved the amendments to the Administration of Parliament’s Act 2024 by Mityana South MP Richard Lumu.
The amendments proposed by Mityana South MP Richard Lumu, are aimed at reforming the process by which the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and other parliamentary leaders are elected and removed from office.
The amendments seek to close a loophole in the current law that allows only the majority opposition party to elect the LoP, without specifying how they can be removed.
During a plenary session held on Thursday August 29 at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu, Lumu presented his proposed changes, arguing that they would enhance the democratic process within the opposition. He proposed that while the majority opposition party should nominate candidates, all opposition MPs should vote to elect the LoP, similar to how the Speaker of Parliament is chosen.
Lumu questioned the current system, drawing parallels to other democratic processes, such as the election of the Pope by Catholics, Ugandans voting for a President, and MPs electing a Speaker. He criticized the existing practice, stating it contradicts the democratic values that the opposition claims to uphold.
“It is important that the pillar of democracy, which is election, should actually be done by us, the Opposition, who are about to take power,” Lumu stated. He also pointed out that his party had never been consulted on the selection of past or present opposition leaders, despite the rules requiring such consultation.
National Unity Platform (NUP) MP Michael Kakembo (Entebbe Municipality) supported Lumu’s amendments, stating that allowing all opposition MPs to vote for their leader would foster greater unity and respect within the opposition ranks.
“I am convinced that this move is going to give us more unity as the Opposition, and respect for each other. Let us vote for our leaders, what is wrong with that?” Kakembo said.
Speaker Anita Among, while ruling in favor of Lumu’s Bill, reminded MPs that they would still have the opportunity to reject it at the second reading if they disagreed with its provisions.
“Much as we are sitting in Gulu, this is a normal sitting. And as I said, let us not act in anticipation; there is no fight. The law isn’t made for one person,” she remarked.
The 1995 Constitution, amended in 2005, established the Office of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament under Article 82A. However, it left the removal process vague, leading to concerns about transparency and fairness in opposition leadership.
The amendments have sparked tensions within the opposition, particularly concerning the decision by LoP Joel Ssenyonyi to boycott upcoming regional parliamentary sittings.
Lumu has been vocal about the lack of consultation within the opposition regarding this decision, calling for a meeting to resolve internal disagreements. He criticized the process, noting that some opposition MPs were inclined to attend the sessions but felt hesitant to voice their views.
The drive for these changes is not brand-new. Former Kabale MP Andrew Aja Baryayanja and Busiro MP Medard Lubega Ssegona both submitted similar modifications during the 10th Parliament, but they were not approved before the end of the session.
Now that the modifications are back in the 11th Parliament, there is new hope that they will be enacted.
MP Okin Ojara initially opposed Lumu’s presentation of the Bill, saying that it was an improper move. But Lumu could propose the Bill; Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi said there was no legal reason not to, therefore the procedure could continue.
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