Opposition predicts tough 2018, wants public involved
The leader of Opposition in parliament predicts that 2018 is going to be a very tough year for them that are at the forefront of the opposition struggle.
Winnie Kizza said that although the opposition unitedly registered a number of milestones in 2017, they were also faced with great repression that left many of them battling in courts of law and other nursing bruises.
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She notes that there are already signs that the wrong note on which 2017 ended will spill into 2018 and unveil even more of the current government’s dictatorial tactics.
After a very politically hyped 2017 that saw the passing and assenting to the controversial age limit act, we sat down with Winnie Kizza the leader of opposition in parliament and Kasese Woman Member of Parliament to take stock of events.
According to Winnie, 2017 was very tough and actually ended on a wrong note with frustrating events that characterised parliament tarnishing their reputation as tenth parliament.
She says events such as take-over of parliament and the speaker’s change of character left a number of her opposition members in dire state and complicated their struggle.
“But I can tell you it wasn’t easy where you are finishing your year with some of your members getting in court, where others are nursing bruises.”
“As a leader it touches you personally that you have members of the team you are commanding but they are not in position to settle well in their homes,” she said.
She predicts an even tougher year saying they are already sensing finger prints of repression and frustration through institutions such as the judiciary.
“This is a new year but we are also beginning with surprises like the one we had at court. The year is still fresh but on 3rd January we got a land mark ruling. A judge summarily reads a ruling of issues she has not listened to.”
She however notes that midst all this they registered great milestones in the year including minority reports that got accepted leading to critical investigations such as the presidential handshake, inquiry into mismanagement of UTL and the budget.
She applauds her members for unity saying it was the key driver of their struggle.
‘We also feel that in 2017 the opposition has exhibited some kind of unity that has never been seen since the ushering in of multiparty politics.”
“That we haven’t wasted our energy as people because if we got even NRM members going against their party position to vote with us, and have managed to move Museveni out of his comfort zone.”
Winnie is convinced that for 2017 opposition MPs played their part. She however notes that 2018 is a time for the public that believes in their struggle to overcome their fears and raise to the call.
“You know when you’ve sent a messenger and you see that the messenger is being put in a corner you who delegated the person should be able to provide cushion.”
The office of the leader of opposition in parliament has 56 members in the tenth parliament and is mandated with holding government accountable through minority reports, motion, over sight visits and queries during the prime minister question time.
In the heated debate of the lifting of the age limit, six of the opposition members were expelled from parliament for six sittings by the speaker Rebecca Kadaga.
