The Democratic Party (DP) has criticized opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) for holding selective protests, stating that they boycott parliament sessions but attend committees, which pay them higher sitting allowances.
Ismail Kiirya, the acting DP spokesperson, confirmed the development while addressing the press on Tuesday November 21, 2023 at City House in Kampala, where he appreciated the opposition’s stand to put the government on the spot to account for those abducted and all those whose whereabouts are unknown.
“The cause is very good, but let’s not use it as discriminatory; we are seeing the boycott as selective, based on their interests,” Kiirya said.
He said that it loses its meaning when they boycott plenary sitting but again attend committee sessions, which is also part of Parliament.
Kiirya, however, appreciated the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Mathias Mpunga, for paying respect to the late Hon.Kyemba, amid the boycott .
“The former prime minister’s body, the late Henry Kyemba, came into parliament when the boycott was still on. And we want to appreciate the LoP for making a stopover in the boycott to respect Hon. Kyemba Henry,” he added.
He recognized that the same spirit is wanted on other important matters in Parliament, like the oil bill.
Kiirya stressed that the government is now doing things without any check from the opposition, and it’s at liberty to do whatever they want because the opposition has decided which matters to attend to and which to leave out.
“The opposition would have presented the minority report at least, but leaving the government to do what it wants is a bad decision. Let’s not fight wars without looking at the repercussion. This is the time for LoP to start consulting the opposition parties in parliament on some sensitive decisions, so that we have our input,” Kiirya said.
He advised MPs to do things that are also in line with Ugandan values and principles and to devise a participatory approach with the political party leadership.
Previously, Speaker Anita Among declared that opposition legislators risk losing their seats if they miss 15 consecutive sittings, as mandated by Article 83 of the Ugandan Constitution. The warning comes amidst a six-week boycott by opposition MPs, primarily from the National Unity Platform (NUP), initiated on October 10, 2023.
