Opposition MP’s from DP and NUP moot a plan to dislodge appointed LOP in parliament.

Parliament has granted Mityana south member of parliament who is on the democratic party ticket in parliament Richard Lumu clearance to draft and introduce Amendments to the Administration of Parliament Act to have the leader of the opposition and opposition whip in parliament elected.

A Private Member's Bill, to be introduced is titled The Administration of Parliament Bill 2024.

“Election is the epitome of democracy, I am a Catholic, there is an election of the Pope, the highest and respected leader in the world, if there is an election there, there must be an election here. We are in the Opposition, we were elected and we also elected you (Speaker), the very reason why you are seated in that seat. We also elect the President therefore, there is no reason why when we come to Parliament as the Opposition, we don’t elect our leader who is the Leader of Opposition,” stated Lumu.

Lumu seeks the two voted for by all opposition parties from the current procedure where the main opposition party names the leader of the opposition and the chief whip too and his motion.

Lumu’s motion was seconded by Entebbe Municipality mp from the National Unity platform Micheal Kakembo .

Kakembo said that the move by Richard Lumu had been brought in good faith with intentions of uniting and making the opposition in parliament very strong instead of working for one party.

“We have seen many times in Parliament where the Leader of Opposition thinks that all Opposition belongs to his Party, in this case, it used to be FDC and all the Opposition would see as FDC and yet not. Because we didn’t participate in the election of the Leader of Opposition, now, we are seeing the National Unity Platform (NUP). Come vote for your leader, he will respect you, he will unit all of us and with that, it will make us stronger,” explained kakembo.

However, some of MPs including Okin Ojara representing Chwa West and Kitgum municipality Mp Nakalit Dennis opposed the initiative describing it as personal wars between the mover and the current leader of Opposition which should not be anchored in the national laws.

The two mps moot the plan for this bill introduction when the leader of the opposition and some opposition members of parliament boycotted the ongoing parliament regional sitting in Gulu city, citing irregular expenditure for these proposed sittings for different regions.