Makerere University law lecturers have denounced Speaker Rebecca Kadaga’s decision of allowing parliament age abused by the executive for selfish interests.
In a three paged statement titled “The Rape of the Sanctity of Parliament” issued on 3rd October 2017, the law dons say the tabling of the age limit bill exposed the violation by the executive and erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers and checks and balances which are critical tenets of democracy.
The document signed by over dons also reveals parliament raid by Special Forces Command and police that forcefully evicted parliamentarians is a repeat of the 1966 overthrow of the 1962 constitution and replacement with a “pigeon-hole” constitution.
“Effectively, Prime Minister Milton Obote usurped parliamentary power using the military,” the lecturers stated. “The military in turn overthrow the executive in the 1971 coup d’état. A year later, Chief Justice Benedicto Kiwanuka was murdered in cold blood.”
They say the rape of parliament was intended to intimidate MPs to pass an amendment that favours a single individual. “We thus condemn in the strongest terms possible the actions of the executive, the military and police.”
