Can the opposition push a unified agenda in Parliament?

It is a new dawn for the opposition that starts with the launch of their unified legislative agenda that may see the ruling NRM cornered.

Despite their internal disagreements, the opposition are focusing on one common enemy in the august house, the NRM.

The opposition in parliament, this time with a newbie National Unity Platform (NUP) steering the wheel in the leadership seat are working around clock to present their legislative agenda for the 2021-2026 term in office.

Mathias Mpuuga, who is the leader of opposition in Parliament told NBS TV that they have worked on the legal frame of issues, shared with the shadow cabinet, and they are going to share with all opposition and the leaders outside parliament.

Mpuuga said they are no longer interested in being a reactionary opposition one easily thrown in disarray by government.

But how possible is it for the opposition to speak one language amidst existing divide of their own?

“The opposition divides are not institutional disagreements but individuals,” Mpuuga said.

Mpuuga added that by virtue of being opposition the approaches are bound to be different but NUP will reach out to those who disagree with their strategy.

“We want to show them that even though we disagree we can work on issue at a time because we may not be able to work on a multiplicity of approaches in the environment and time.”

The FDC on the other hand allegedly not seeing eye to eye with NUP, concurs with Mpuuga saying the commonality of the challenges like the economy, human rights, governance and security will take centre stage.

Wasswa Birigwa the FDC national chairman however said they are giving NUP time to find their footing since they are new on the job.

“NUP is still trying to find who they are and getting colleagues there to have a coherent agenda needs time. It’s only 5 months,” Birigwa said.

Birigwa warns that those are not the only battles awaiting NUP, there are other issues like opposition members who are not the opposition, the independents and the politics of numbers where the majority vote has it all.

“In the opposition we fight, we crawl, just to be heard.”

Mpuuga however said that their quest for a bigger platform does not end with independents.

“We are even reaching out to NRM MPs who just used the card to come to parliament but we share commonality.”

It all seems rosy for the players, but are they pushing the unpushable?

Political analyst Amb Harold Acemah said that the leader of opposition needs to consult widely and often with the opposition there should not be any surprises.

Ancema said that NUP should not try to reinvent the wheel but focus on an alliance of purpose.