By Aggrey Baba
Former Arua Municipality MP Kasiano Wadri has come out fire blazing and voiced his opinion on the controversial proposal seeking to have all opposition Members of Parliament (MPs), including independents who are leaning to the National Resistance Movement (NRM), participate in electing the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), warning that the move would undermine Uganda’s multiparty democratic system and erode Parliament’s independence.
He said this while speaking during a press conference at the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) headquarters in Lungujja, Kampala on Wednesday. Wadri said the proposal, reportedly spearheaded by NRM MP Hon. Namara, goes against established democratic practice both in Uganda and across Commonwealth countries.
He maintained that under the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the Leader of the Opposition is selected by the opposition party with the largest number of MPs, after which the name is formally communicated to the House.
“How can the NRM participate in electing the person whose duty is to hold it accountable? That is like a referee deciding to become the goalkeeper. Who then keeps the referee in check?” Wadri asked.
The former opposition MP said the proposal was not only unprecedented but also likely to dent Uganda’s democratic image internationally. Drawing from his experience as former Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PPAC), Wadri said he had interacted with different Parliaments ancross the Commonwealth region and had never witnessed such an arrangement.
He noted that even countries where the opposition has only one or two representatives have continued to respect the principle that opposition offices belong to the opposition.
According to Wadri, Uganda should strengthen, not weaken, institutions that promote accountability, warning that allowing the NRM to determine who leads the opposition would defeat the very purpose for which the LoP office office was created.
He appealed to Speaker Jacob Oboth-oboth to carefully reflect on the implications of the proposal before allowing it to progress, saying Parliament should uphold democratic norms rather than rewrite them for political convenience.
Wadri also cautioned NRM lawmakers against legislating on the assumption that they would remain in power indefinitely.
“The Roman Empire once dominated the world, yet today it is history. Political power is never permanent. The same law you make today could one day work against you.”
He challenged opposition MPs not to be intimidated by their minority status but instead to vigorously resist the proposed amendment once it reaches the floor of Parliament, saying history would remember those who stood up to defend democratic principles, regardless of whether they won or lost the vote.
“It is not about the numbers. Speak, fight and let the record show where you stood. Posterity will judge those who defended democracy.”
Wadri further appealed directly to the Buyaga West MP Dennis Namara to reconsider the proposal, arguing that his experience at the East African Legislative Assembly should inspire him to strengthen democratic institutions instead of weakening them.
He also expressed concern that fear had silenced many MPs saying Parliament derives its very identity from debate and free expression. According to Wadri, MPs who have been entrusted with the people’s mandate should never shy away from speaking on matters that determine country’s future.
He also urged religious leaders, civil society organizations and the media to play their respective roles in defending constitutionalism and protecting the country’s democratic space, echoing ANT president Gen. Mugisha Muntu’s earlier call for religious leaders to speak boldly whenever democratic values are threatened, saying their voices carry moral authority that many Ugandans respect. Mugisha Muntu had spoken earlier, before him.
Before turning to the political issues, Wadri had paid tribute to former Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Moses Ali, describing him as a fatherly figure whose guidance, wisdom and counsel had inspired many leaders from the West Nile region.
He said the country had lost a respected elder statesman and prayed that Allah grants him eternal rest. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
