The Speaker of Uganda’s parliament, Edward Kiwanuka Sekandi has finally done what he should have done over four months ago by suspending over 70 members of the 8th parliament for having crossed over to other police camps to get nominated for the 2011 elections.
Parliament of Uganda
This follows the Supreme Court affirmation of an earlier Constitutional Court ruling that ordered the speaker to suspend all MPs currently campaigning on a different political ticket than the one they were elected into the 8th parliament, because they should have resigned before crossing to different political camps or becoming Independent.
Over 77 MPs have been affected, including 10 ministers and 7 who decided not to compete after losing primaries in the parties they crossed to.
The Spokesperson of Parliament, Helen Kawesa said on Monday the Speaker has written to all affected MPs explaining to them that they lost their seats in the 8th parliament the moment they got nominated on either a different political party than the one they currently represent, or decided to run as Independent MPs.
But this is the kind of letter that Sekandi, a Senior Lawyer should have written to the MPs at their mid November nominations, to at least save them from the current situation where the affected MPs have to refund all monies earned since they crossed.
Kawesa said he speaker ordered the affected MPs to be struck off the MPs payroll, and the office of the Clerk to parliament is still compiling the exact amount each MP is supposed to refund.
The Constitutional Court in a case filed by George Owor against NRM flag bearer for Budama North constituency William Okecho ruled that MPs with a political party or Independent should have resigned their seats before nominations to change to other political parties or as independents.
The See full Constitutional Court ruling
The affected MPs are still awaiting the Supreme Court decision on whether their nomination for the current 2011 elections was null and void as ruled by the Constitutional Court, following an appeal by Okecho.