STATEMENT BY CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS ON THE RECALL OF PARLIAMENT

 n Summary

Concerned. Civil society members say blocking the recall of Parliament by President Museveni could scare away partners and investors frightened by the standoff between the two institutions.

As the standoff between Speaker Rebecca Kadaga and President Museveni over re-calling of Parliament remains unresolved, civil society organisations yesterday called for a solution to avoid a “paralysis of leadership that might scare away foreign direct investments into the country.”

MPs started a process last month to collect at least 125 signatures required to recall Parliament from recess to discuss events related to the sudden death of Butaleja Woman MP Cerinah Nebanda.

The stalemate between the President and the Speaker took a new twist at a New Year’s Eve meeting in Rwakitura, Mr. Museveni’s upcountry home, in which he reportedly swore that Parliament would only be recalled “over my dead body”.
The President warned MPs behind the petition of “severe repercussions”, should they proceed with the move to recall Parliament.

Reviewing the challenges faced by the country in 2012 and setting their agenda for the New Year, CSO’s under the Uganda Governance Monitoring Platform (UGMP) said the past year witnessed a “further deterioration in the democratisation process.”

“The quandary Uganda has faced over the last month, following the tragic death of Nebanda, is only one manifestation of a government struggling with the lack of trust from its own people, Dr Zac Nirigiye, a citizen’s ambassador from the UGMP, read from a statement.

Dr Nirigiye added that Parliament was not spared from the same harassment, intimidation and arm-twisting vented on innocent protesters in the past year.

Mr. Okwiri Rabwoni, the executive director of Centre for Constitutional Governance, warned that the crisis may scare away development partners and foreign investors, wary of the effects of the impasse between two critical arms of government.

Mr. Rabwoni cautioned that Parliament was within its rights to reconvene “If the necessary signatures are acquired unless there is no longer rule of law in Uganda.”