By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has vowed to oppose the controversial Lumu Bill, claiming it was moved in bad faith and designed to weaken opposition political parties in Uganda.
The Administration of Parliament Bill 2024, moved by the Mityana South county member of parliament, Hon. Richard Lumu Kizito seek to provide for the election of the Leader of the Opposition by members of the opposition in Parliament differing from the current practice where the party with the largest number of opposition MPs in parliament appoints the leader. Last week, the bill was tabled on the floor of parliament for the first reading and sent to the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee for scrutiny.
However, FDC has opposed the bill stating that this shift will diminish the authority of opposition parties, reduces political participation, undermines public institutions, and stifles dissenting voices in Parliament.
Speaking at a press conference held at the FDC headquarters in Najjanankumbi, Walid Lubega, Deputy Secretary for Publicity (publication and documentation), strongly condemned the proposed legislation, asserting that it was brought in bad faith and aims to disempower opposition political parties to operate effectively.
“We in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), are deeply concerned about the shrinking political space for opposition parties, and the Lumu bill is a prime example of this. The FDC strongly opposes the amendment proposed by Hon. Lumu, believing it’s driven by bad faith and aims to disempower opposition political parties,” said Lubega.
Lubega argues that the bill not only strips opposition parties of their autonomy but also erodes the rights of Ugandans to have their voices heard through their chosen representatives.
“It manipulates the opposition and silences dissenting voices, allowing the government to control the opposition leadership. This is a clear attempt to keep the opposition on tenterhooks, constantly at the mercy of the ruling government,” he said.
The FDC also expressed concern over the fast-tracking of the bill in Parliament, accusing the government of prioritizing it over more pressing legislation.
“We question the speed at which Lumu’s Bill is being processed. There are many bills backlogged in Parliament, but this one is being pushed through with alarming urgency. This raises serious concerns about the true intentions behind it,” Lubega added.
FDC believes this accelerated timeline is suspicious, further fueling their belief that the bill is intended to weaken the opposition.
“The country is not suffering because we don’t have an elected Leader of Opposition. We have more important issues to legislate on than this awkward bill,” Lubega said, labeling the bill as a “trap” for the opposition.
In an interview with NBS Television on Sunday, Lumu rejected claims that the government has interests in this bill arguing that the bill when passed into law would strengthen the opposition leadership in parliament and bring more meaningful reforms. He threatened legal actions against anyone who alleges that he is being funded by the NRM to push this bill.
“This bill will not weaken the opposition, but make it more effective,” he said. “I challenge anyone to say this outside of Parliament and see what happens. They are hiding behind parliamentary immunity, but I will sue if these lies continue.”
Nevertheless, Lubega made it clear that the FDC would not allow the bill to pass without resistance. “We reject the bill in totality. We shall mobilize our members in Parliament and others in opposition and in government to reject this awkward legislation.”
