Three political parties FDC, DP and Justice Forum have tabled their constitutional amendment and electoral reforms before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee of Parliament calling for the return of presidential term limits, a running mate for any presidential candidate standing for presidency and appointing electoral commission by Judicial Service Commission
The group consisted of FDC party leader Major General Mugisha Muntu , Democratic Party National chairman Beswale Kezala , Jema President Assuman Basalirwa ,FDC former president Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago , DP Secretary General Mathias Nsubuga, CP’s Ken Lukyamuzi , Betty Nambooze among others .
Appearing before a fully constituted committee chaired by Kajara MP Stephen Tashobya, the group said that presidential term limits should be reinstated to end the cycle of handing power to another president through the use of a gun.
The former FDC leader Dr. Kiiza Besigye insisted that the president must serve two terms and leave the seat for others to take on.
The group’s technical person in the constitutional Amendment and Electoral reforms bill Wandera Ogalo said that the presidential candidates should have running mate to become their vice president when they win so as the vice president has the mandate of the people.
Ogalo insisted that the electoral commission should be independent and appointed by the Judicial Service Commission through application, adding that the chairperson of the commission should hold office for a non-renewable term of eight years. He also pleaded with Members of Parliament sitting on this committee to amend the constitution and make army representatives exit parliament saying that no parliament in the world has army representatives. He said that if army representatives are left in parliament there is risk of turning the professional army into a partisan force.
Ogalo, on behalf of the three opposition political parties, said that the Attorney General and his deputy must be a judge of high court appointed by the president on recommendations of the Judicial Service Commission on a non-renewable term of seven years .
They asked parliament to reduce the number of Ministers from 70 to 21 and added that ministers should be ex-officials. The Member of Parliament for Butambala county Muwanga Kivumbi proposed that the presidential candidate who could have scored over 5% in the national polls should automatically become a Member of Parliament.