Wednesday, 23 May 2012

OFWONO WRONG ON TERM LIMITS


OFWONO WRONG ON TERM LIMITS

I would like to respond to Ofwono Opondo’s article which appeared in  the New Vision of Wednesday, May 16, 2012, NRM will not be derailed’.

The restoration of Presidential Term Limits debate is a general call from Ugandans from all walks of life; Civil society, Clergy, Politicians, Professionals, Academia, Businessmen, Youth, etc including the Parliamentarians who are now at the forefront of this drive. These Mps who include Hon.Gerald Karuhanga are advocating for the restoration of term limits in their own capacity as citizens of Uganda as well as peoples representatives. 

So Ofwono’s assertion that Hon.Karuhanga,in his  effort to introduce this debate in parliament is snatching ‘the silver ware from Bishop Zac Niringiye ‘is  not only wrong but misleading ;typical  of NRM spin doctors trying divert the debate and  create the impression that the advocates for the term limits are divided.Hon Karuhanga and the Bishop Niringiye among others work as a team under the umbrella; Citizen’s Coalition for the Restoration of Term limits.
The debate has a lot of support from Mps of all political persuasions  including the NRM,.This is the more reason the Party leadership refused to include the item on its agenda during the recent NEC meeting despite the several calls from its members! They later came out to announce that NRM has already an agreed position on this, without any debate and agreement from its members! Is this NRM party’s decision or an individual's? It is very clear that even the ‘old’ NRM Mps who supported the removal of term limits have long  realized their mistake and are ready to correct it by reinstating them.Besides,the  the composition of NRM caucus is completely different from that of the 7th Parliament in 2005.
Ofwono also knows that during the last NRM's retreat,many MPs supported Kintu Musoke's proposal to restore the term limits.

Miriam Kyomugasho
Centre for Consititutional Governance

As it appeared in the NEW VISION Tuesday May 22,2012;pg 13.

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