The ruling National Resistance Movement Parliamentary (NRM) Caucus has convened to rally its members to stand by the recently adopted Constitution Amendment Act that scrapped the presidential age limit.
This comes just a day after the Uganda Law Society dragged the matter to the Constitutional Court, seeking to annul the Act.
The members will also discuss on modalities of securing a majority vote for the referendum on the seven year political term for president.
Its said that members of the ruling party are determined to stick to their majority decision and ensure their vote is implemented.
Its also said that the matter was discussed by cabinet yesterday and the caucus is now pushing for this referendum to be held by August this year.
According to the Uganda Law Society, they petitioned the Constitutional Court seeking to annul it the age limit bill that was turned into a law two weeks ago.
Mr Francis Gimara, the President of Uganda Law society together with other lawyers filed a petition that was against the extension of the term of the 10th Parliament and that of the local government councils to seven years. According to the petition, the lawyers believe that it is unconstitutional as it is against the will of the voters.
“Some of the amendments took away the authority of the people who allowed a five-year term, is unconstitutional. The MPs by passing this bill took away the will of the people,” the court documents supporting their suit read in part.
According to the lawyers, the effect of the passing of the age limit Bill into law will see the Electoral Commission organizes two separate elections of the President and MPs and that this arrangement infects Article 105 (1) of the Constitution and is inconsistent with Articles 1, 8a and 260 (1) f of the Constitution.
“The process leading to enactment of the Constitutional (amendment) Act, 2018 was stained with violence, intimidation, abuse of fundamental human rights, general mayhem, security officers evading Parliament and assaulting MPs, which actions undermined the integrity, security and independence of Parliament,” they added.
