AGELIMIT JUDGEMENT: JUDGES ARE NOT THE ONES IN CHARGE OF THE COUNTRY—MUSEVENI

Monday 30^th July 2018

www.mknewslink.com

President Museveni has blasted Constitutional Court judges who last week struck down the 7-year term of the president and MPs from the Constitution.

The judges ruled the extension of the life of Parliament and Local Council leaders took away the social contract and rights they had with the electorate of five years, and not seven years

Justice Kenneth Kakuru ruled “the principle of holding elections after every five years, to hold otherwise, is to hold absurdity,” adding, “It could declare the current Members of Parliament for life just like [President Idi] Amin did.”

But in a statement issued on Monday, Museveni, who is in South Africa for the BRICS Summit, said the judges fell short of understanding the importance of a long term for the elected leaders but concentrated on theatrics.

“Unfortunately, our judges in Uganda spend more time on form and not substance, on procedure and not substance,” said Museveni.

“My freedom fighter’s sense of justice, in this matter (the age limit ruling) focuses more on the convenience of 7 years rather than 5 years.  With the 5 years, a lot of time is spent on electioneering and less time on development; the first two years settling in, the third year some work in the constituency and, then, by the 4th year, electioneering again,” he emphasized.

Museveni said, in the end, however, “the judges are not the ones in charge of the country.”

He however noted that NRM MPs through his guidance and people can make constitutional reforms with or without judges.

The President said the Constitution should “facilitate the modernization of Uganda and the economic and political integration of Africa for the survival of the people of Africa as free people, not just the theatre of democracy of form without addressing substance.”

This is the first time Museveni is expressing his views on the judgement read last week in Mbale.

Nevertheless, Museveni praised the judges for ruling in favour of anyone above 75 years of age contesting for president, saying “the undemocratic age limit nonsense was clear.

Source: www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website
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