Parliament sitting

Workers’ members of parliament and government have failed to find a method of how workers’ MPS will be voted for 2016 parliamentary elections. The legal committee chaired by the Member of Parliament for Kajara county, Stephen Tashobya, noted that following the Constitutional Court nullification of the law under which workers’ MPs were elected in the expiring term of the current parliament, government and the workers’ MPs  are still stuck  on finding a new method of voting workers.

The committee was surprised to see the workers’ MPs who included the Minister for sports Charles Bakabulindi and Rwakajara Arinaitwe together with the Attorney Fred Ruhindi insisting for the voting of the workers’ MPs using the nullified law yet the committee has been instructing them to bring a new voting formula for the committee to scrutinize.

MPs who included Abdul Katuntu, Baka Mugabi, Alex Ndezi, Fox Odoi, Kabakumba Masiko, Wilfred Niwagaba  and Paul Mwiru said that they will not keep a blind eye on this matter, demanding for a method which is agreeable to both the unionized and non-unionized workers in the country.

MPS say that if the government and workers representatives are still sticking to the old method they should go back to court and appeal against the ruling over the matter or cause a Constitional amendment. The member of parliament for Bukoli county Stephen Baka Mugabi proposed that there should be creation of another line of non-unionized workers voting through workers’ councils from lower level and later vote among themselves the leaders who elect workers’ MPS  so as they also participate in the elections to make the process open to all workers and to satisfy the law .

However the Minister of state for workers who is also the workers’ member of parliament Charles Bakabulindi said that leaving the old method of voting workers’ MPs is tiresome since it will require registering workers afresh.

The Attorney General Fred Ruhindi said that he will not appeal over this mater in court and admitting that he is now in a difficult position but a solution must be found. The committee is to request the speaker of parliament to give it more time to make a report before parliament on the parliamentary election amendment bill 2015 so as the MPs have enough time again with government and workers’ MPs to work out the method of electing workers’ representatives.