Parliament approves move to amend law on election of Opposition Leader

Parliament has granted Buyaga West MP Dennis Namara permission to introduce a Private Member’s Bill seeking changes to how the Leader of the Opposition (LOP) is elected and held accountable.

The decision followed a procedural debate, with Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa ruling that the proposal met the constitutional requirements needed for leave to be granted.

Tayebwa said that at this stage, the Speaker's role is only to determine whether a proposed Bill complies with the Constitution, not to assess its merits. He noted that Parliament would later debate the substance of the proposed law.

He also clarified that a certificate of financial implications is not required before leave is granted. The certificate will only be needed before the Bill is introduced for its first reading.

Some opposition MPs questioned whether Parliament should revisit proposals that had been considered during the 11th Parliament. Others asked whether the Bill reflected the priorities of Namara's constituents.

However, Tayebwa said every MP has the constitutional right to introduce a Private Member’s Bill and warned against questioning a legislator's motives.

Under the proposed amendments to the Administration of Parliament Act, the Leader of the Opposition would be elected by all opposition MPs instead of being chosen by the largest opposition party.

The Bill also proposes new grounds for removing the Leader of the Opposition, including incompetence and misconduct. It seeks broader consultation among opposition parties when appointing the Shadow Cabinet and calls for more inclusive representation on parliamentary committees and international bodies.

Namara argued that the current system gives too much power to the largest opposition party and does not fully reflect Uganda's multiparty political system.

"We are talking about anchoring democracy. Democracy cannot only be on the side of the National Resistance Movement. Democracy should be on two sides," Namara said.

He also questioned why ministers can be held accountable through censure while the Leader of the Opposition, whose office is publicly funded, is not subject to similar checks.

The motion was seconded by Linos Ngopek, who said allowing all opposition MPs to elect the Leader of the Opposition would strengthen internal democracy and promote inclusivity.

Ann Adeke Ebaju asked whether there was evidence that opposition parties had been excluded from consultations before the appointment of the current Leader of the Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi.

Tayebwa said those issues would be considered when the Bill is formally introduced and debated.

Parliament later granted Namara leave to prepare and introduce the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill.

The draft law will now be prepared, obtain a certificate of financial implications, and return to Parliament for its first reading.

The proposal comes amid heightened political debate over the Office of the Leader of the Opposition following recent exchanges between Ssenyonyi and Muhoozi Kainerugaba over the arrest of former Erias Lukwago. However, Namara did not directly link his proposed Bill to those events.