In short
NRM Secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba wants the Central Executive Committee of the NRM to be given a mandate to vet NRM candidates vying for the posts before they are subjected to a general vote in parliament. Lumumba says the Central Executive Committee is the only neutral organ whose decision will not be disputed.
Leaders of the National Resistance Movement-NRM party are divided over the necessary criteria for identifying and selecting candidates for the post of Speaker of Parliament.
Parliamentary rules of procedure provide that members of Parliament who want to become Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are nominated by the MPs based on their ability to handle parliament business before they are subjected to voting by all members.
Currently the positions of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament are held by Rebecca Kadaga and Jacob Oulanyah respectively. The two members of the ruling NRM party have both expressed interest in the top seat in the tenth parliament.
But NRM Secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba wants the Central Executive Committee of the NRM to be given a mandate to vet NRM candidates vying for the posts before they are subjected to a general vote in parliament. Lumumba says the Central Executive Committee is the only neutral organ whose decision will not be disputed.
However, Dr Tanga Odoi, the chairman of the NRM Electoral Commission wants the NRM caucus to vote on the candidates before they are presented to parliament.
Odoi says all persons vying for the post should be subjected to a secret ballot election within the NRM caucus in order to ensure that the process is transparent and that the best NRM candidate is presented for the general vote in parliament.
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Several legislators have objected to the suggestion saying that subjecting the candidates to fresh campaigns and election is time wasting. Eng. Gabriel Aridru, the MP-elect for Vurra County says the mandate should be given to CEC.
Similarly, Jacob Oulanyah, one of the contenders for the Speakers seat says that vetting the candidates either through CEC or through the NRM caucus will be a violation of the rules.
Parliamentary rules of procedure provide that members of Parliament who want to become Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are nominated by the MPs based on their ability to handle parliament business before they are subjected to voting by all members.
Currently the positions of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament are held by Rebecca Kadaga and Jacob Oulanyah respectively. The two members of the ruling NRM party have both expressed interest in the top seat in the tenth parliament.
But NRM Secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba wants the Central Executive Committee of the NRM to be given a mandate to vet NRM candidates vying for the posts before they are subjected to a general vote in parliament. Lumumba says the Central Executive Committee is the only neutral organ whose decision will not be disputed.
However, Dr Tanga Odoi, the chairman of the NRM Electoral Commission wants the NRM caucus to vote on the candidates before they are presented to parliament.
Odoi says all persons vying for the post should be subjected to a secret ballot election within the NRM caucus in order to ensure that the process is transparent and that the best NRM candidate is presented for the general vote in parliament.
//Cue in: "I greet you all…."
Cue out: …on them accordingly."//
Several legislators have objected to the suggestion saying that subjecting the candidates to fresh campaigns and election is time wasting. Eng. Gabriel Aridru, the MP-elect for Vurra County says the mandate should be given to CEC.
Similarly, Jacob Oulanyah, one of the contenders for the Speakers seat says that vetting the candidates either through CEC or through the NRM caucus will be a violation of the rules.
