Opposition MPs decry ‘rape’ of Parliament
Following a decision by the speaker Rebecca Kadaga to suspend twenty-five MPs, chaos erupted as legislators supporting the lifting of the age limit and those against drew blood on the floor of parliament leaving many of them injured whereas others were arrested and detained.
Addressing journalists shortly after walking out of parliament a few minutes to tabling of the motion on the age limit by Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi, leader of Opposition, Winnie Kiiza said the action to kick legislators out was an act of terrorism and treason.
“Like it happened on 6th April 1966 during the pigeonhole constitution, we have yet witnessed another rape and takeover of parliament,”Kiiza told journalists.
“We have seen Members of Parliament arrested and brutalized in a condemnable manner.”
The leader of opposition said it was wrong for the Special Forces Command, the UPDF elite force mandated to protect the president to enter parliament and carry out arrests to MPs which he said was illegal.
According to Kiiza, it was wrong for President Museveni to allow the elite force to enter parliament, and terrorise legislators, an action he said was tantamount to taking over of the August House.
“He (Museveni) now thinks he is above the country and send SFC to come and brutalize us inside parliament.”
On the arrested MPs, she said other opposition MPs would never set foot in parliament until they have known the fate of their colleagues adding that an attack on some members was an attack on all of them.
She demanded for the unconditional release of the MPs arrested during the scuffle at parliament.
Kawempe North MP Latif Ssebaggala said the scenes in parliament could only be described as terrorist actions carried out on the August House.
“I cry for the speaker who was put in a difficult situation. A former darling to the people has now been soiled,”Ssebaggala said.
Buhweju legislator Francis Mwijukye said the voices of the people had been forced out of the August house, an action he said calls for people to brace themselves for the worst.
