The Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP), Joel Ssenyonyi, has warned that holding elections for leaders on the opposition side of government would divide the opposition and weaken their collective ability to unite and hold the ruling government accountable.

Ssenyonyi made the remarks on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, while presenting his views on the Administration of Parliament Amendment Bill, 2024, to Parliament’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, recently tabled by Richard Lumu, the Mityana South Member of Parliament.

Ssenyonyi emphasized that a divided opposition is less effective in forming a united front, which is crucial for influencing legislative outcomes and ensuring diverse viewpoints are represented.

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He also questioned why the opposition should adopt a different leadership selection process than the ruling party, where leaders are not elected by their MPs.

“The Leader of Government Business is not elected by the MPs on the Government side, so why would we be seeking to have the leader on one side elected?” Ssenyonyi said.

Ssenyonyi further criticized the proposal that requires all opposition MPs to approve the Shadow Cabinet, arguing that this undermines accountability and effectiveness. He stressed that the Shadow Cabinet should be appointed by the LOP without consensus from all opposition members.

The Administration of Parliament Amendment Bill, 2024, aims to modify provisions related to the election of the LoP and the approval processes for Shadow Cabinet appointments. This has intensified concerns among the opposition members, describing the committee’s handling of the bill as supersonic.