NEWS-Following reports explaining that the government of Uganda has a plan to amend the constitution where only legislators will be empowered to vote for the Head of State, President Yoweri Museveni has come out saying that he will not support the proposal.
According to the report filed by New Vision yesterday Sunday, Museveni made clear explanation that it should be the role and right of all Ugandans to vote for their President, not only Members of Parliament.
While appearing before the Constitutional Review Commission, Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi disclosed that the government has a plans of changing the constitution to abolish the popular presidential elections by the public, so that the president is being elected by the Members of Parliament.
In audio from CBS radio station, Kafuuzi was quoted saying the government is already mobilizing money to fund the constitution review commission’s nationwide tours.
Kafuuzi further added that if it is what Ugandans want, then as a government they need to make it happen. He made strong reference to the age-limit and term-limits removal that were changed among other previous amendments.
Earlier this year, Members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Caucus, gov’t Chiefwhip Thomas Tayebwa, and the Minister for Agriculture Frank Tumwebaze came out and said that they are ready to kickstart consultations with stakeholders on the rumoured constitutional amendments that will give MPs the mandate to vote who becomes the president.
Meanwhile in Uganda, the President is elected by people through elections every five years, with the winner needing to receive over 50% of the votes.