The Democratic Party (DP) top leadership has asked Richard Lumu the MP for Mityana South to drop his proposal to have the Leader of the opposition elected by opposition members saying that it’s not in good faith.
While attending a consultation meeting on September 11, 2024, at Balintuma Road in Rubaga Kampala, the DP party Secretary General Gerald Siranda urged the Mukono South MP to drop the proposals because they can only be handled by a referendum.
” I request our colleague to drop these proposals because they are going to lead us into a constitutional review that will require a referendum,” Siranda said.
Siranda also accused Lumu of not consulting the DP parliamentary Caucus and said that if he had consulted before then they would have guided him.
“We also just got to hear the proposals like other members of the public and Lumu never consulted us before presenting these proposals,” Siranda added.
The DP and former Eala Member of Parliament Mukasa Mbidde also said that the propositions are not proper because in the kind of multiparty system, the winner heads government and the first run-up becomes the minority party and leads the opposition.
The President of DP Buganda caucus Fred Kagimu said that the proposal is not fair because if it was DP with the highest majority of opposition members of parliament, Lumu would not have made the same proposal.
Party leaders also said that the proposed bill will look like the democratic party is just after the main opposition party which is the NUP.
Party president Norbert Mao said that out there people have already started saying that DP is just targeting the current leader of the opposition.
“People are asking why didn’t Lumu bring the proposal when his friend Mathias Mpuuga was still Leader of the opposition? Mao asked.
Lumu insisted that his proposal is not in bad faith and he will continue pressing for it
Lumu who was given a chance to present his proposal explained to party members and listed his intended proposals.
After presenting his proposals party leaders were given an opportunity to guide and give their views on the proposals which saw all of them against the proposed amendments by Richard Lumu.
The consultation meeting was attended by MP Richard Lumu, party president Norbert Mao, Secretary General Gerald Siranda, former member of Parliament for EALA Mukasa Mbidde, and other party leaders, party members, and members of the Media.
