MPS EXTEND AGE LIMIT BATTLE TO SUPREME COURT, JOIN MABIRIZI

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In Kampala

Six Opposition Members of Parliament have extended the Age limit battle to the Supreme Court pleading with Chief Justice Bart Katureebe to annul the entire ‘age limit Act’.

The MPs, led by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Ms Winfred Kiiza, listed 11 grounds to support their appeal.

They are dissatisfied with the 4:1 majority decision of the Constitutional Court that endorsed the removal of the presidential age limit clause Article 102(b) from the Constitution, paving way for President Museveni to contest in the next polls if he so wishes.

During a press conference in Kampala yesterday, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who represents the MPs, told Chief Justice Bart Katureebe that their decision in the pending appeal will either “make” or “break” the country.

“Our last hope is in the Supreme Court. This is the call we are making to the Chief Justice. It is a very big test to the Judiciary, Lukwago said.

“We made our submissions before the Constitutional Court that Ugandans were let down by Cabinet and Parliament……The choice is yours [Supreme Court] now whether to help this country gets on course of constitutionalism, rule of law or you sanction violence,” he added.

Other MPs are Gerald Karuhanga, Jonathan Odur, Mubarak Munyagwa, Allan Ssewanyana and Ibrahim Ssemujju.

However, the Chief Justice refrained himself from commenting on the Mbale judgment, saying he might find himself having a conflict of interest since he might be on the Bench, hearing the appeal.

The MPs hailed Justice Kenneth Kakuru who had a dissenting judgment and Remmy Kasule for their elaborate constitutional history background of the country in their respective judgments.

The filing of the appeal before the Supreme Court comes days after another petitioner in the Mbale judgment, Male Mabirizi, lodged the first appeal last week.

Lukwago also warned the MPs from being duped again by the President that they can re-table and pass the law to extend their stay in Parliament.

He also criticised President Museveni for blasting the justices for declining to approve the extension of the MPs’ term.

“If he was dissatisfied with the judgment like us, he should have appealed as a party or as friend of court, but not resorting to lambasting judges,” Lukwago said.

The President said the extension of the term focuses more on the convenience of seven years instead of five.

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