Some opposition political parties have decisively rejected the proposed bill introduced by Mityana South MP Richard Lumu, arguing that it is fundamentally flawed and out of touch with the needs of the people.
The bill, which has been a hot topic in Parliament and the public is facing intense scrutiny as opposition leaders highlighted its numerous shortcomings.
The Bill in question was recently introduced by Lumu, seeking to change the process of selecting the Leader of the Opposition by allowing MPs in the opposition to elect the leader, rather than having political parties appoint them.
While appearing before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee on Thursday, the President of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Patrick Amuriat Oboi wondered why the Parliament is in high speed to this Bill is worked upon yet there are many major issues affecting Ugandans that what he called a fake bill.
“Ensure that any reforms prioritize the interest of the Ugandan people. Uganda has many pressing issues which need to be addressed than this Lumu Bill. I think Parliament after Parliament, has been unjust to our democracy and yet there is a need to respect our democracy, to make it more refined,” he said
He added that the FDC strongly opposes the amendment proposed, believing it is driven by bad faith and believes it aims to disempower Opposition political party institutions because Parliament had remained the only space where the Opposition can conduct their business without harassment as is happening across Uganda.
“The Bill is seen as another attempt by the Government to restrict the Opposition’s ability to operate effectively. This is part of the broader pattern of reducing political participation, undermining public institutions, and stifling dissenting voices in Parliament. The more you reduce the space accorded, even the little space accorded to the Opposition, the more you are pushing those in Opposition to look for alternatives. And I think this is dangerous, not only for our democracy but also extremely dangerous for the stability of this nation,” added Amuriat.
Amuriat went further and stated that if there are any political issues within the Opposition, they shouldn’t be resolved through legislation. Instead, they can be resolved administratively. It will also fuel unnecessary division among MPs of the main Opposition MPs due to the avoidable quest for top positions in Parliament.
“Denying the largest Opposition Party to elect the Leader of Opposition is undemocratic and undermines the power of the very voters that put trust in them. It can also be used against the Opposition by the Party in power. The Lumu Bill has sparked concern that the Ruling Party could exploit it, to impeach a strong Opposition leader, effectively silencing dissenting voices. This fear is rooted in Uganda’s history of restrictive politics, where the Ruling Party has maintained significant control over the political landscape,” he warned.
In the same stream, the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) rejected the same bill alluding that it would cause chaos and division within the Opposition. UPC however urged the Parliament to expedite the enactment of electoral reforms ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Speaking during the committee meeting, Fred Ebil, Secretary General UPC asked the parliament to shift focus to electoral reforms, not Lumu’s bill. “We are here to plead with you, like we told Lumu, that much as he has these issues that he has raised, with the management and relations with the office of the Leader of Opposition, we feel that having a free and fair election which is urgent, which is crucial, we need to have these amendments done. It is our request and humble appeal that we need to prioritize what comes first and we think, the election of 2026 is a priority to us. We think the other things can be addressed administratively.”
Ebil added that Lumu assumes that his Bill will bring cohesion but it will rather cause more chaos because MPs will be contesting and each time one contests, the losers even go to court.
“So we think the members of the opposition will be more divided than cure the division. Since this will cause more chaos than before, let us focus on the issues which are the priorities right now, which is bringing reforms which will help all of you have free and fair elections in 2026 that the electoral commission has requested, that the Supreme Court pronounced itself on in 2016,” he noted.
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