Members of Parliament from the National Resistance Movement party have in the recent past up turned up in small numbers at parliament which is debating the 2010/11 budget at the moment and their small numbers were today on the brink of disrupting parliamentary business.

Prof. Ogenga Latigo

The MPs from NRM are having primary elections for their party and most are engrossed in campaigning for their positions which they want to retain when the party votes in its primary elections on 30th August 2010.

The Leader of Opposition Ogenga Latigo has told Parliament that it is very unfortunate that the MPs from the ruling party are snubbing sittings yet the budget is supposed to be passed promptly.

The Member of Parliament for Kasilo Elijah Okupa says it is besides the opposition advised the Secretary General of NRM, Amama Mbabazi to postpone the elections for the party but he declined to advise the party accordingly.

However the Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi says the NRM should not be blamed much because with big or small numbers it can still carry out its mandate in Parliament and MPs from the opposition should not use this as an excuse to disrupt Parliamentary business.

This comes at a time when the 2011 general elections are closing with the nominations of Parliamentary seat slated to take place in November. However, whereas MPs would like to be left with enough time to campaign for re election to their seats. They still have a huge challenge of having debate the budget and pass a number of bills. They may also have to discuss CHOGM report since there seems to be pressure from the public to have this report discussed.

The parliament Speaker Edward Ssekandi on Friday sent MPs on recess to allow them engage in campaigns for their primaries in their respective political parties.