Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Government Chief Whip Thomas Tayebwa has said that Government’s position is that Parliament remains closed despite calls by Members to have it open.
Several members of Parliament including the National Resistance Movement MPs have said the house needs to be recalled and debate on Government’s intervention towards COVID-19 saying it is disorganized.
Addressing a press conference on Friday at Parliament, three NRM MPs said Government’s intervention was lacking, and Parliaments oversight role needs to come in.
Buyamba County MP Javira Ssemwanga said that the relief package should be national wide since the COVID-19 lockdown is affecting the whole country.
Bukoto west county MP Muhammad Sentai Muyanja said that Government’s relief package does not cater for people in villages and this has to be addressed by Parliament. The NRM MPs join the shadow Ministers who on Wednesday called for the opening of Parliament for MPs to debate concerns emerging from the COVID-19 intervention.
Mityana North County MP Nsegumire kibedi said that the Prime Minister has neglected local leaders who can ably identify beneficiaries. He also said that like the last Parliament which did not close during this COVID-19, the 11th Parliament should also be operational and save Ugandans.
However, in an interview with journalists at Parliament, the Government Chief Whip Thomas Tayebwa says there is no need to open Parliament at the wake of the Pandemic.
He says that as it stands now, if Parliament needs to sit, it will be called, but all the reasons the MPs are giving on the Government’s intervention is not valid. Tayebwa says everything the Government is doing now is within the law and there is no cause for alarm.
Tayebwa said he was shocked that people are in Parliament and yet it is supposed to be under lockdown.
While addressing the press recently, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among indicated that the house was not on recess and it could be recalled anytime, adding that only the Parliament building is under lockdown.
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