Oulanyah to opposition MPs: Ignore "trivial issues like regime change, work for your people

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah has asked opposition MPs to focus on the interests of the people who elected them other than ‘trivial’ issues like regime change.

Oulanyah said that focusing on regime change is a wrong and narrow focus and tasked all opposition legislators to put their efforts into solving problems in their constituencies.

Oulanyah made these remarks while addressing MPs at the launch of opposition legislative agenda on Friday.

“Honourable Members, let's keep our eyes on the ball. The ball is this country and its people. The ball is not the regime. A focus on the regime is a narrow and a wrong focus,” Oulanyah said.

He added, “Put your focus and interests on the people who elected you to Parliament rather than on trivial issues like regime change.”

Oulanyah added that the Country’s Constitution allows for a regime change and it states categorically on how that will be achieved and said that it is not the role of an opposition MP to legislate on how a regime should change.

“The only reason you are in the opposition is because at the time of elections you didn't have the numbers. So you spend the next five years, slowly and strategically building those numbers,” Oulanyah said.

Oulanyah said that opposition MPs should focus on narrowing the gap between the public and the Parliament saying this gap has been widening over last few years and there is need to close it.

Speaking at the launch, the leader of opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga said that the time has come for the opposition to speak with one voice and discuss issues, some of which might be uncomfortable.

Among the many points that Mpuuga noted out, was the size of Parliament which he said was too huge.

Mpuuga also said that there is a debate of whether the current constitution is legitimate and lacks legitimacy.

“There is need to align issues of resource allocation especially to the local government. I am inviting members of the opposition to consider as key in what we think, dream and reflect about, are the are possible Constitutional and Electoral Reforms that we must prioritize,” Mpuuga said.