Bukedea woman Member of Parliament and the Vice Chairperson of the Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), Anita Among has dismissed the recent changes FDC made to the leadership of accountability committees.
Among vows to stay put in the committee chair until December when her term of two and a half years expires as per the rules she cites.
“Parliament is not run by Najjanakumbi (FDC headquarters), we have rules of procedure and the head of parliament is the speaker and she is the custodian of the rules of procedure, when you look at the rule 146 on standing committee, they are supposed to serve for 2 and half years,” she said.
Among accuses the FDC President, Patrick Oboi Amuriat of taking it out on certain members of the opposition by evicting them from their seats before their term of office expires.
“As a leader one should not act out of anger, I don’t know where it is coming from, parliament must be respected. Whoever thinks is going to remove us, should follow rules of procedure, Mbale court said we must follow our rules of procedure in their recent judgment,” she added.
Among also says she is not willing to move from her seat because the party instead nominated someone incompetent to take over he position.
“I have been competent, let them nominate someone more competent than me at least,” she said.
Amuriat on Friday replaced the Leader of Opposition of Parliament, Winnie Kiiza with Gulu Woman MP Betty Aol Achan. He also replaced COSASE chairman Abdu Katuntu and Deputy Anita Among with Kawempe South MP Mubarak Munyagwa and Moses Kasibante respectively.
However, when contacted, the director of communications for parliament, Chris Obore said the matter will be solved by the Speaker.
“The speaker has to inform the house officially about these changes,” he said.
Meanwhile, a parliamentary plenary that had been scheduled to discuss the changes in the opposition leadership yesterday was postponed following “state engagements’ by the deputy speaker of parliament Jacob Oulanya.
However, a certain section of legislators led by James Waluswaka (Bunya West) said they had heard reports in the corridors of parliament stating that the postponement was due to intelligence that opposition MPs had planned to cause chaos in order to block the changes rang by Amuriat.
While making the changes, Amuriat said they would take effect immediately, but his directives have already knocked two concrete walls in form of Winnie Kiiza and Anita Among.
Winnie Kiiza on her part said she would not relinquish office until an official communication is made to her.
I am still Leader of Opposition in Parliament – Winnie Kiiza
“They are supposed to write to me officially, until then we are still in office because I am not aware,” she said.
Meanwhile in the wake of the changes by Amuriat, a section of opposition members and the public claimed Amuriat was acting according to the wishes of party strongman Dr Kiiza Besigye.
Besigye has however rubbished claims that he is influencing Amuriat’s decisions, saying he served his party and left other officials to govern the party.
“I ruled FDC for seven years and left, I don’t even sit in the party committees,” he said.