William Kituuka Kiwanuka
OULANYAH HAS LOST MORAL INTEGRITY
Deputy Speaker Oulanyah
By Sheila Naturinda & Isaac Imaka
Hardly two months in office the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah, is fighting to save his political life, for playing partisan politics.
The Opposition has called for his resignation after it was found out that he attended the NRM party caucus activities and meetings in Rwakitura and Masaka over the weekend.
According to the constitution and the Parliamentary rules of procedure, the office of the speaker is supposed to impartial, and its holder is not supposed take part in partisan politics.
Addressing the press at Parliament, the leader of opposition Nandala Mafabi said that the speaker’s move has affected the integrity of the office of deputy speakership and that Mr Oulanyah has lost the moral integrity of being a Speaker.
The constitution dictates that if a person holding the office of the deputy speaker indulges in actions that bring contempt and ridicule, and shame to the office, such a person should vacate the office.
Oulanyah is set to address a press conference to defend his position.
In the earlier press conference attended by all shadow cabinet ministers, the MPs also condemned what they called wasteful expenditure by President Museveni’s to fund party activities using public money.
They also condemned the proposal by Museveni’s government to scrap bail and promised to challenge the Bill in the courts of law when it comes to the House. More update to follow.
Parliamentary rules of procedure on censuring a Speaker Rule 92- Procedure for the removal of Speaker or Deputy Speaker
(1) A motion for a resolution for the removal of the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker from office shall be moved in the following manner-
(a) seven days' notice, signed by not less than one-third of all Members of Parliament, shall be given to the Clerk;
(b) the Clerk shall, within twenty four hours of receipt of the list of names, forward the notice to the Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be;
(c) the motion shall be tabled in Parliament and shall be listed for debate within fourteen days after receipt of the notice by the Speaker or Deputy Speaker;
d) in debating the motion under paragraph (c) Parliament shall constitute itself into a Committee, which shall report its findings to Parliament for adoption.
(e) the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker is entitled to appear in person and to be assisted or represented by a lawyer or any other person when the Committee of the whole House is considering the motion for his or her removal.
(2) The provisions of sub-rules (3) to (8) of rule 91 shall apply to the removal of the Speaker or Deputy Speaker with such modification as may be necessary.
(3) Neither the Speaker nor the Deputy Speaker in respect of whom proceedings for removal have commenced, shall preside over the proceedings.
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(4) If Parliament passes the motion for the removal of the Speaker or Deputy Speaker by not less than two-thirds majority of all the voting Members of Parliament, the Speaker or Deputy Speaker shall cease to hold office.
OULANYAH SHOULD RESIGN, OPPOSITION SAY
By Isaac Imaka & Sheila Naturinda
Posted Wednesday, July 20 2011 at 00:00
Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga yesterday said she only allowed her deputy, Mr Jacob Oulanyah, to go for the NRM parliamentary caucus tour of parts of western Uganda after “he insisted he wanted to attend”.
The Deputy Speaker’s participation in the excursion which was arranged at the invitation of President Museveni has sparked off calls for his resignation. It has also renewed debate on whether the Speaker should keep their constituency seat and party position after election to the position.
Kadaga distances self
But Ms Kadaga, who felt that asking for a resignation was premature, distanced herself from claims that she allowed Mr Oulanyah to attend partisan meetings of the ruling party. “I was coming from Kyotera around 6pm (on Saturday) and Oulanyah called me and insisted that he wanted to go for the farming trip. When I saw that he was insisting, I told him to go and attend but I advised him not to attend any meetings,” Ms Kadaga said yesterday, thereby contradicting claims by Mr Oulanyah that she gave him the all-clear.
The Deputy Speaker yesterday morning dragged Ms Kadaga into the matter when he addressed a press conference to rebut accusations that he can no longer be trusted to be impartial as is required of his office. “I discussed with the Speaker and told her I intended to go,” he said “She gave me the go-ahead, and said there would be no dialogue on day one and day two, apart from day three when they met in Entebbe. That is why I didn’t go to Entebbe meeting.”
Mid-morning yesterday, Shadow Cabinet ministers led by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mr Nandala Mafabi, called an impromptu news conference at Parliament where they demanded Mr Oulanyah’s resignation. The group also demanded a statement from Ms Kadaga in reaction to what they described as partisan behaviour of her deputy.
Minutes later, Mr Oulanyah also addressed a news conference where he told reporters that he didn’t know it was a caucus but just a tour of successful agricultural firms. “I am not worried that the opposition has lost trust in me and that they can censure me because there are no grounds for such,” Mr Oulanyah said. “What is politically wrong with touring farms? I am a sensible human being. I received a text message on my phone inviting me.”
The Shadow Cabinet yesterday maintained that his participation in NRM caucus activities has cast the Deputy Speakership in bad light. Mr Mafabi said this development has affected the integrity of the office, and that Mr Oulanyah has lost the moral integrity of being a Speaker.
“Oulanyah should not have attended the NRM party activities. He should not be our deputy speaker and he should therefore resign,” Mr Mafabi said. “If he does not resign we are going to move a motion on the floor of the House for his censure. He is the Deputy Speaker for all MPs not NRM MPs.”
Staying put
Mr Oulanyah said he will not resign, insisting he doesn’t “regret anything because I am also (an) NRM member.” Mr Oulanyah’s is not new to political controversy. During his tenure as chairman of the Parliamentary committee on legal affairs in the Seventh Parliament, he was accused of overseeing the process which resulted in the lifting of presidential term limits. He was condemned as a sell-out to the NRM yet he was a member of the Uganda Peoples Congress party then.
Commenting yesterday, Mr Ben Wacha, senior counsel and former chair of the House committee on Rules, said: “Was it a caucus? My answer would be that if it’s a caucus, it would be highly irregular but if it wasn’t a caucus, he should have looked at his conscience if it’s proper to be seen with one group of people when you are supposed to impartial.”
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