The institution of Parliament has been accused of playing partisan politics after the leadership blocked a meeting between Leader of Opposition Betty Aol and opposition political leaders at the premises of Parliament.
On Monday, LoP Aol
was set to meet political party leaders who had come to meet her on the administration of parliament
bill. Aol was supposed to meet them at
her boardroom.
However, the Clerk to Parliament Jane Kibirige in a letter
stopped the meeting from taking place
as the leaders were not allowed in.
Although the Aol said she intended to host the meeting at her
boardroom, the Clerk advised her that Parliament
rooms were occupied.
In a letter dated 11th February, addressed to the Leader of
Opposition from Kibirige, she says
although the LOP was to host opposition
leadership, Parliament will be hosting
an exit meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprise (COSASE),
and Parliament cannot be able to
handle the two groups (including the political
parties) at the same time.
“I have advised that you contact the Prime Minister’s Office
to use their conference hall for
convenience” Kibirige says in the letter.
The letter was copied to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of
Parliament, Sergeant-at-arms and
the Parliamentary police division commander.
Aol said that there is no way she should be stopped from holding meetings in her
boardroom.
Aol says the clerk choose to block her visitors and yet these
are the official opposition representative
of the Political parties.
