Lumu, Opposition lock horns over LoP, chief whip elections

However, Opposition leaders have expressed concern about the amendments, with some saying this may be the handiwork of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party to disorganise the Opposition.

The proposals

While addressing a press conference at Parliament on September 2, Mr Lumu said he had witnessed the growing need for a more inclusive and representative Opposition leadership, which can only be achieved when the entire Opposition participates in electing its leaders in Parliament. However, Mr Lumu has not proposed any amendments to allow for the election of leadership positions on the ruling party side.

 “In response to this need, I am proposing the Administration of Parliament Amendment Bill, 2024, which I believe will significantly enhance the unity and effectiveness of the Opposition in our legislative process,” he said.

According to the proposed amendments, both the LoP and the Opposition Chief Whip will be elected by all members of Opposition in Parliament instead of the current system of appointment by the largest Opposition party in Parliament.

Mr Lumu said the largest Opposition party will choose one candidate to serve as a Parliamentary Commissioner while the remaining slots should be reserved for other Opposition parties.

On the election of the LoP, Lumu proposed that the largest Opposition party in Parliament must nominate three candidates from among its members for the position, who will then be presented to all Opposition MPs to vote.

“This democratic process will ensure that the Leader of the Opposition is chosen by the collective voice of all Opposition MPs, fostering a sense of ownership and unity across the Opposition spectrum,” he said.

He also proposed that the Opposition Chief Whip be elected by all Opposition MPs from among their own ranks, following nominations made during a sitting of the Opposition caucus.

“This approach will democratize the selection process and ensure that the Chief Whip enjoys broad support and confidence from all Opposition members that he/she has to organise and mobilize for legislative work,” he said.

He said the proposed amendments are not merely administrative adjustments but rather a reflection of “my deep commitment to fostering a united, cohesive, and effective Opposition”.

“I urge all Opposition Members of Parliament to support this Bill. Together, we can build a stronger, more unified Opposition that is truly representative of the diverse voices we have the honour to serve,” he said.

Opposition not happy

While appearing at the NTV-Uganda morning show yesterday, Mr Mukasa Mbidde, the deputy president general of DP, said: “Although Hon Richard Lu-mu is from DP, it is noteworthy that his Bill on electing the Leader of the Opposition does not originate from the party. We are establishing numerous practices that don’t make sense.”

He added: “Electing the Leader of the Opposition is a matter of politics, not law. Each Speaker of Parliament has a unique style of administration, which can indicate how issues will be addressed and where they might ultimately lead.”

Opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye, with whom Mr Lumu has since severed ties, said the principle of multiparty democracy is that a majority party forms government and a majority Op-position party forms a shadow government.

“The shadow government should, ideally, be formed by one party, not all parties in Opposition! This is because they offer alternative policies to those of government and different parties have different policies,” he said.

In 2006, Dr Besigye declined to take the LoP position after losing the presidential race to President Museveni and instead appointed Prof Ogenga Latigo as the first LoP under the multiparty dispensation.

He said Uganda has a hybrid of the parliamentary and presidential system and that the Leader of Government Busi-ness in Parliament is appointed by the President; so, the Leader of the Opposition has to be appointed by the shadow president.

“If there was to be an election of LoP, it should be by only MPs of the party forming a shadow cabinet. If the Leader of Opposition in Parliament is elected by MPs of the main Opposition party, then logically, the Leader of Government Business would similarly, be elected by MPs of the ruling party,” Prof Latigo said.

“Unfortunately, in Uganda today, there’s no democracy, let alone, a multiparty system! This is what all well-meaning Opposition MPs should be fighting for. Regrettably, most are preoccupied with getting benefits in the NRM/M7 junta rule- Shame!” Dr Besigye said.

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party spokesperson, Mr John Kikonyogo, said the proposed Bill is being driven in bad faith with the aim of disempowering Opposition political parties’ institutions.

“We call upon the Opposition leadership in Parliament led by NUP to mobilise the Opposition political parties and key stakeholders to block this very redundant amendment. We call upon the Opposition unity as we pursue this battle where the National Resistance Movement regime intends to assert its control over the Opposition in Parliament,” he said.

Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, the LoP, said the ruling party has strategically used another Opposition member to introduce this move due to the pressure they are facing from the Opposition.

“They are mooting a motion, saying now we want the Leader of the Opposition to be elected by the entire Parliament. We have never been afraid of any democratic process as you know. But clearly, this [amendment] is because of the pressure that we have as a team been exerting and we continue to exert on them and we shall not stop,” he said.

Mr David Lewis Rubongoya, the NUP party secretary general, said the government side has now found it difficult to compromise the current leadership of the Opposition, which is why they want to get a weaker leader through elections.

“The regime initially thought every LoP would be compromised and silenced. Faced with a new challenge, they now want to amend the law to have the LoP elected by the Opposition MPs, at a time when they believe they have effectively captured several parties in the Opposition. They believe they'll be able to have their cho-sen Opposition leader who will tire the line. Sadly, but not surprisingly, they must handpick some Opposition MPs to spearhead the new scheme! What a country!” he said.

Mr George Musisi, the lawyer of NUP party president Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, while appearing on NTV yesterday said the proposed amendment is a brutal attack on the multiparty system that dictates that the majority party forms the government, while the runner-up assumes the Opposition role.

“We need to ask Hon Richard Lumu what gaps he has identified in this approach. It is a mistake to assume that electing a Leader of the Opposition is a necessary component of a democratic system. Currently, we have a Leader of the Opposition who is leading a group with some members aligned with the ruling party and government. These bills seem to be addressing issues related to Joel Ssenyonyi,” he said.

Mr Erias Lukwago, the Kampala Lord Mayor, said the proposal if passed, will kill the “spirit” of multiparty democracy because the mandate of the numerical political party is derived from the people.

“You will be defeating the spirit of the Constitution where the power is derived from the people. For us we are opposed to any amendment to tinker with the position of providing the authority of the majority party in the opposition,” Mr Lukwago said.

He called on the Opposition MPs to stand against the proposed amendment.

“You may support it today because you are not the majority Opposition but tomorrow you will be one or you will be in government, so let us not dis-tort multiparty democracy,” he said.

NRM Reacts

Procedure

When contacted on September 2, Mr Alex Kintu Brandon, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) caucus spokesperson, yesterday said: “This is a private members Bill which is provided for within our laws. I don’t know how DP operates but for us in NRM, we agreed that when a member wants to move a private member’s Bill, he must bring the issue to the caucus and we debate and take a position on it as a caucus. Regarding this particular Bill, we have not really thought about it as a party and we wait to see the contents of the bill before we decide what to do.”

“He raised the issue in Gulu du-ring the [Parliament] session in the north and I am not sure if he consulted the party and his colleagues. But I believe since he was granted leave of Parliament, he will consult his party and colleagues, but that is their internal matters. We shall only weigh our opinions when the bill comes to Parliament,” he added.

Efforts to get a comment on the matter from Mr Emmanuel Dombo, the director of communications at NRM Secretariat, was futile by press time as he did not answer our calls.