Amendment Bill: MP Lumu Fires Back At Ssenyonyi “Childish” Accusations

Mityana South MP Richard Lumu (DP), the mover of a private member’s bill aimed at amending the Administration of Parliament Act, has directly countered accusations by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Joel Ssenyonyi that he is being used by the speaker and the government to target Nakawa West MP.

Lumu’s tough talk followed unsubstantiated accusations against fellow opposition legislator while appearing on the famous #MorningBreeze show on NBS TV, on Monday morning.

“Broadly speaking, Hon. Lumu’s idea [bill] that the opposition leader in parliament should be elected within parliament when you look at its genesis cannot come out of the blue,” Ssenyonyi said, “It has where it’s coming from.”

Ssenyonyi who has been up in arms against the bill since last week when Lumu secured the leave of parliament to introduce his bill argued “they may be saying; that this Ssenyonyi man is giving us a lot of headaches, and asking questions about accountability, and so on. Well, I have news for them, I will not stop asking the hard questions because it’s my job.”

He wondered, “If it’s okay to vote for the leader of the opposition and opposition chief whip, maybe it should also be okay to vote for the leader of government business and government chief whip.”

Curtain Pulled Off Ssenyonyi

Although LoP had comfortably played his usual blackmail card for the largest part of the one-hour show, Lumu was connected from Sanyuka TV, a sister station to NBS, towards the end of the show.

On learning of assertions, Lumu described the LoP’s accusations as “childish” talk that ought to be stopped if they are to move the country in the right direction.

While on NBS, Lumu said without mincing words, “we should stop being childish because whoever has a different idea, s/he is being used, why?”

From NBS TV, Lumu addressed a press conference to strengthen his point, “Whoever is thinking like that [I am being used by the government and the president], if he is not shallow, is myopic [narrow-minded] because we have been here in parliament and we were elected from there. That is the capacity we can use to fight to get the right person to be the leader of [the] opposition.”

Lumu used the minutes at NBS TV to wipe out blackmail and lies as told by his boss in Parliament. He explained that his bill is far from targeting the sitting LoP but aimed at enhancing democracy among opposition ranks in Parliament.

Lumu also reminded the LoP of a censure motion against the four parliamentary commissioners, including the immediate for LoP Mathias Mpuuga, a member of NUP, which was being moved and seconded by the NRM MPs, Theodore Ssekikubo and Sarah Opendi, respectively, wondering whether he was also being used by the NRM and government in supporting and ordering opposition MPs to sign the motion against their own.

Regarding LoP’s argument that the bill would have been widened to include the election of the leader of government business in Parliament and government chief whip, Lumu was categorical, telling his leader that he was free to move a bill that takes care of his ideas rather than engaging in quarrels regarding his bill.

“The first step is to secure leave that I have already secured to go consult. First, a draft will be done, which I will share with everybody, including my leader LOP. He is free to say No, remove this. That is what civility requires not quarrelling.”

He emphasized that civility and mature leadership is about offering alternative ideas to the draft bill than quarrelling which is a preserve of persons short of direction.

“The bill will come in stages. They can also come and add in their ideas, rather than simply quarreling like they have no direction in our heads. What I am doing is good for the opposition”

LoP chickens Out

What shocked the show host was the refusal by the LoP to respond to issues raised by Lumu, whom he had previously blackmailed.

A visibly angry LoP then said, “I will not have an exchange with my colleague on TV. You should have told me that we will have someone else, prepare for an exchange …I moved away from that. Let us stick to discussing regional sittings.”

This exposed the LoP as an inept person always on script and afraid of engaging in constructive debates.

Some propositions in the Bill

Lumu emphasized that his bill is good for the opposition and will enhance democracy. He also pointed out that the LoP must be elected by other MPs of the opposition, and he suggested that the opposition party with the largest numerical strength would produce three people from which the wider opposition in Parliament shall elect one.

The contents of the bill also indicate that the minority parties in the opposition would elect a commissioner of Parliament, and having all shadow ministers vetted by the entire opposition MPs. Lumu is confident that his bill will bring about the much-needed change in the country’s political landscape.