By Moses Kyeyune
Igara West Member of Parliament Raphael Magyezi has this afternoon tabled his Bill on Constitution Amendment for the first reading.
The Bill titled “The Constitution (Amendment) BILL. No 2 of 2017 has now been sent to the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs chaired by West Budama North MP Markson Oboth Oboth for scrutiny.
The Bill seeks to amend Article 102 (b) of the Constitution to lift the presidential age cap of 75.
Opponents of the Bill argue that the move is dangerous as it will pave the way for life presidency which is contrary to basic democratic principles.
The committee has 45 days within which to report back to Parliament.
The bill was however presented without the opposition members after they once again boycotted today’s sitting in protest of what they call illegal suspension of their 24 colleagues.
According to the Leader of Opposition, Winnie Kiiza, the opposition resolved to stand in solidarity with their suspended colleagues, whose only crime was to allegedly protect the Constitution.
The suspension ends tomorrow and the MPs will be expected to return to parliament on Thursday.
