Speakership race: Opposition to name candidate on Thursday
courtesy photo
The Opposition in Parliament will on Thursday name a candidate it will be fronting to take on the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) choice for Speaker of Parliament.
The seat of Speaker fell vacant on Sunday following the death of Jacob Oulanyah from a hospital in Seattle, Washington DC in the United States of America (USA) where he was taken last month for specialised treatment.
He had served as Speaker for nine months and 24 days.
The NRM kicked off the process of replacing him on Tuesday, receiving applications from 13 hopefuls including the current deputy Speaker, Anita Among, and four ministers namely, Jackson Kafuuzi (deputy Attorney General), Jane Ruth Aceng (Health), Marks Jackson Oboth-Oboth (state for Defence) and Hamson Obua (state for Sports).
The same day, the shadow cabinet met and Bugiri Municipality MP, Asuman Basalirwa, expressed his interest in the position.
He later told journalist at Parliament, Basalirwa noted that he he is ready to take on the mantle once his application is approved by the Opposition caucus on Thursday.
Joyce Bagala, the Shadow Minister for Information confirmed that the shadow cabinet had made a call inviting all MPs interested in becoming the next Speaker of Parliament to express interest ahead of Thursday’s Opposition caucus meeting.
Article 82 (4) of the Constitution provides that no business shall be transacted in Parliament other than an election of Speaker at any time that office is vacant.
Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the Kira Municipality MP said that it would be important for the opposition to front a candidate.
Ssemujju participated in the previous Speakership race in which the late Jacob Oulanyah emerged winner with 310 votes against 197 votes garnered by former Speaker of the Tenth Parliament Rebecca Kadaga. Ssemujju managed 15 votes.
