The Administration of Parliament Amendment Bill 2024, proposed by Mityana South MP Richard Lumu, has come under scrutiny from political leaders, including former Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) presidential candidate Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Mugisha Muntu. On October 10, 2024, Muntu expressed his concerns before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, warning that the bill could lead to further division within the Opposition.
Muntu was accompanied by a delegation that included ANT’s national coordinator, Alice Alaso Asianut, spokesperson Gerald Karuhanga, and former Soroti Woman MP Angeline Osegge. The proposed amendment aims to change the current process by allowing Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) to elect the Leader of Opposition (LOP) rather than solely relying on the largest Opposition party to decide.
Under the proposed arrangement, the party with the most representatives in Parliament would nominate at least three of its members for the LOP position. Once elected, the LOP would no longer be a member of the largest Opposition party and could be removed from office by a resolution of Opposition MPs.
Muntu cautioned that allowing this change could create conflicting power centers within the Opposition. “If you elect the leader of the Opposition without the main party, you can easily create two power centers in place. And that is a recipe for disaster for that party,” he stated. Muntu stressed the importance of keeping the integrity of the party structure intact and warned that this bill could weaken the Opposition.
Muntu further urged MPs to avoid passing laws based on immediate emotional responses, warning that such decisions might have long-term consequences. “Today, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) could be in power, tomorrow it could be in the Opposition. We should think about the future dynamics of political parties in Uganda,” he said.
Alaso echoed Muntu’s concerns, arguing that the bill could allow smaller, fringe parties to gain undue influence over the LOP position. “If the bill is enacted, we sense that the intention is to make small Opposition parties the official Opposition,” she explained. She highlighted that if the total number of small parties exceeded that of the main Opposition party, it would undermine the principle of numerical strength and potentially weaken the main Opposition.
Despite claims from smaller parties of feeling marginalized, Alaso insisted that no law prohibits them from raising their grievances within Parliament. She called for the bill to be rejected entirely, expressing concern that its passage could hinder the growth of democratic processes in the country.
In response to these warnings, Busiro East MP Medard Ssegona (NUP) asked Alaso if the ANT party would be willing to engage in discussions with Lumu to address their concerns. He emphasized the importance of unity among the Opposition parties to make meaningful progress.
On the other hand, Solomon Silwany (Bukooli Central, NRM) dismissed claims that the NRM was trying to undermine the Opposition. He argued that the electoral process inherently favors the party with greater numerical strength, making it unlikely for smaller parties to gain disproportionate power.
