{UAH} Why was it necessary for the President to be present in what transpired as the first meeting of the 11th Parliament?

By Oweyegha Afunaduula

When the Uganda Constitution 1995 was being made there were rumours that the Chairman of the Movement, then called Yoweri Museveni, was on the upper floor of International Conference Centre, not only following the proceedings of the Constituent Assembly, but also guiding the whole process, even if Paul Wapakhabulo was its Chairman.

Prior to the election of Speaker of Parliament yesterday, the President said he had to ring every member of NRM that was to be involved in the process. That was influence pedalling.

During the actual election, the President, who is usually not so good at time-keeping, arrived very early and assumed a strategic seat and watched over the whole process as Justice Dollo guided the process. That was both subtle and expressed influence pedalling.

No one doubts that the President, now called Tibuhaburwa Museveni, is a very towering figure in NRM whose presence can initiate shivers down the spines of legislators.

The question is: Why was it necessary for the President, the Executive arm of Government, to be present in what transpired as the first meeting of the 11th Parliament? Didn't it send the wrong signal that this Parliament will be under the grip of the Executive,  with the new Speaker manifesting more as a Yes Man, unlike Kadaga who could say No to power?

What then is the future of separation of power in Uganda?

Already there is collective thought that the Judiciary under the leadership of Justice Dollo, is not adequately free from Executive influences.

So if both Parliament and judiciary are not free of the Executive influences, that seems to take us back to the time when Uganda was under the rule of NRM/A. The President was also the Chairman of the legislature.

Already the President has implemented his decision to appoint NRM cadres to the judicial bench. Indeed many believe the Chief Justice himself is an NRM cadre.

So if the President is NRM cadre Number One, the Speaker is NRM cadre Number whatever, and the Chief Justice is NRM Cadre Number whatever, it is a reversal of progress in the building of constitutionalism in Uganda. Am I speaking to myself?

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"When a man is stung by a bee, he doesn't set off to destroy all beehives"

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