President Museveni has responded to a letter by rebel MPs over the amendment of article 102(b) aimed at lifting the presidential age limit from the constitution.
Last month , ten MPs including Theodore Ssekikubo, Monicah Amoding, Barnabas Tinkasimire, Patrick Nsamba Oshabe, Sam Lyomoki, Gaffa Mbwatekamwa, John Baptist Nambetsye, Alex Ruhunda, Sylvia Rwabwogo and Felix Okot Ogong wrote a letter President Yoweri Museveni asking him to give up the Constitutional Amendment Bill and also prepare a transition and succession process within the NRM party and national presidency.
However, in response, President Museveni said the rebel MPs made a mistake by attacking the proposal to amend the constitution to lift the age limit.
“The mistake on your side was not only to attack the proposal but also did so suing violent and unconstitutional methods,”Museveni wrote in a letter dated November 7th and also copied to the vice president, Prime Minister, NRM Secretary Genral, government Chief Whip and NRM caucus members.
Museveni in his letter fumed that the rebel MPs used violence, intimidation, lies and insults to attack the proposal to amend the constitution wondering whose views the legislators were fronting.
In their letter, the legislators opposed to lifting of the age limit said that President Museveni has risen to status of the father of the nation, adding that he owes it to the current and future generation to hand over power so as to prepare a transition for the country.
However, in response,Museveni in his letter blasted the legislators for going overboard by persisting yet their views had earlier been rejected by the NRM parliamentary caucus, something he said was wrong.
“Why then did you persist in your minority stand? You should have held your peace until consultation time.”
According to the president, it is also wrong for some people to manipulate the consultation process by going to public places to ask people about their stand on the proposal to amend the presidential age limit.
“There are structures which are the committees of NRM .You should consult those, then with the committees, you can go to the public in the local areas,”Museveni who is also the NRM party chairperson argues.
The president said that it is appalling that most of the people, specifically the Rebel MPs who talk negatively about government have not done anything to contribute to the ideology of patriotism and liberation of the country.
“You have not contributed to the recovery of the economy and the country, to the consolidation of peace or to the great developments we have achieved. We call this parasitism and will be resisted and defeated,”Museveni warned.
