KAMPALA- Speaker Anita Among temporarily halted the consideration of the Administration of Parliament Amendment Bill, 2024, which proposes the election of the Leader of Opposition, due to the absence of the bill’s sponsor, Richard Lumu (Mityana South) as she sent parliament into the recess.
The speaker said that the bill was tabled by a Private Member, and it’s prudent to pass it when the member is present to move his motion.
The Speaker’s decision sparked mixed reactions. Stephen Baka, Chairperson of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, which reviewed the bill, acknowledged that parliamentary rules do not prevent proceedings in Lumu’s absence.
However, he agreed that any MP standing in for Lumu would need sufficient preparation.
West Budama Northeast MP Fox Odoi disagreed with the Speaker, citing past instances where MPs stood in for absent colleagues to present bills.
He pointed to a precedent in the 9th Parliament, where Wilfred Niwagaba’s Prohibition and Prevention of Torture Act was presented in his absence, allowing it to pass.
The Administration of Parliament Amendment Bill, 2024, introduced by Lumu in October, has sparked significant debate. Dubbed the “Lumu Bill,” it calls for an electoral process for selecting the Leader of the Opposition, a position currently appointed by the Opposition party.
The bill also proposes similar elections for the Opposition Chief Whip and seeks parliamentary vetting for Shadow Ministers and Committee Chairpersons.
Lumu suggests increasing the Parliamentary Commission’s membership to accommodate smaller opposition parties, which he argues are currently marginalized.
However, stakeholders appearing before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee opposed the bill’s proposals.
They warned that electing the Leader of the Opposition could weaken the opposition bloc and foster internal divisions, urging the retention of the existing appointment-based system.
