The decision by Mr Richard Lumu (Mityana South MP) to push for a law that will adjust the way the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) and the shadow cabinet are chosen has precipitated unrest in the Opposition camp.
Since he tabled the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Mr Lumu riled the vast majority of fellow Opposition lawmakers, including the president general of his Democratic Party, Mr Norbert Mao, also the Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister.
The legislation tabled on Wednesday for the first reading, besides demanding that the LoP be elected by Opposition lawmakers also intends "to provide additional grounds upon which the Leader of Opposition may cease to hold office”.
It outlines plans "to require the shadow cabinet to be approved by Members of the Opposition parties in Parliament” and also condition the LoP to "consult Opposition political parties represented in Parliament when appointing chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of standing committees".
Currently, the LoP is determined by the leadership of the leading Opposition political party in Parliament. The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party assumed that mantle after Uganda returned to a multiparty political dispensation. After sending 56 lawmakers to the House in 2021, the National Unity Platform (NUP) party assumed the mantle.
