{UAH} Allan/Pojim/WBK: Oulanyah team tells Kadaga to accept succession - National
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Oulanyah team tells Kadaga to accept succession
The race for Speaker of the 10th Parliament yesterday hit fever pitch with Jacob Oulanyah unveiling his campaign team which took no time to punch holes in Rebecca Kadaga's leadership of the 9th Parliament and her ongoing outbursts against party officials.
PARLIAMENT. The race for Speaker of the 10th Parliament yesterday hit fever pitch with Jacob Oulanyah unveiling his campaign team which took no time to punch holes in Rebecca Kadaga's leadership of the 9th Parliament and her ongoing outbursts against party officials.
Under the mantra "Speaker For All", Mr Oulanyah's team will premise his campaign on the promise to rid the country's third most coveted office of the divisive cases witnessed in the 9th Parliament where Speaker Kadaga was reportedly locked in quarrels with the President, the prime minister and the media.
The 24-strong task force, to be headed by Godfrey Kiwanda, the Mityana County MP and chairman of the Buganda Caucus, the largest regional grouping of MPs in the House, also questioned the national credentials of Ms Kadaga, given her recent attacks against public officials.
Mr Kiwanda told journalists that as Deputy Speaker, Mr Oulanyah steered the 9th Parliament through some of the most demanding spells. Mr Oulanyah chaired the House during the passing of the contentious Public Order Management Act and the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Act, 2012, with both legislations facing stiff resistance from the public and Opposition MPs.
"He has been with us through the most difficult times of the 9th Parliament and we are sure that he can ably steer the 10th Parliament. He will be a Speaker for all because he has a background of the Opposition," Mr Kiwanda said.
Lt Col (rtd) Patrick Kasumba, the newly elected Bujenje County MP, accused Ms Kadaga of abandoning House business whenever push came to shove during the 9th Parliament-citing the passing of controversial laws when Kadaga would leave her deputy to chair the House.
"We have seen Kadaga abandon business in Parliament, abandon Bills and Oulanyah takes over- that is essentially why we want to give him the full mandate. We want a Speaker who will put the country's interests above her interests. We want a Speaker who will not give the President headache," Lt Kasumba said.
Yesterday, Ms Kadaga dismissed the pronouncements from her rival's campaign team. On the issue of the Uganda Parliamentary Association of Women Parliamentarians (UWOPA) promising to back Kadaga, the Rakai Woman MP-elect Juliet Ssuubi said the resolution was not binding.
Rattled by the bid from her deputy to unseat her, Ms Kadaga went on a spirited defence of her office and branded Mr Oulanyah a "greedy man" as she accused Foreign Affairs minister Sam Kutesa of trying to bribe MPs in Busoga sub-region with $10,000 (Shs35m) each to support his bid.
Ms Kadaga appearing on a television talk show on Sunday, said if Mr Kutesa is backed for Speaker, the government will be reduced to a "family affair" and vowed to fight him. Mr Kuteesa has consistently denied any involvement in the ongoing jostling for speakership.
sarinaitwe@ug.nationmedia.com
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