Uganda president summons ruling party’s top organ over age limit

By Tom Mugisha, tom.mugisha@alleastafrica.com

KAMPALA – President Museveni has summoned the National Executive Committee, the top organ of the National Resistance Party to discuss the ongoing debate about the Constitutional Amendment to remove presidential age limit.

The ruling party publicist Rogers Mulindwa said Museveni who is the national Chairman of the ruling party will meet the NEC members at State House Entebbe today at midday.

“The president has summoned NEC in his capacity as national chairman of NRM. The meeting will discuss several issues on the agenda but also explaining to the members about the age limit bill” said Mr Mulindwa said.

The meeting of the NEC comes four days after the Central Executive Committee (CEC) sat at State House, Entebbe and approved its support for the amendment of Article 102b of the constitution.

The Constitutional Amendment Bill 2017 that was moved last month by Igara West Member of Parliament Mr Raphael Magyezi is before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee for scrutiny.

Members of parliament are also in recess to consult their voters on the same bill and have since Monday received Shs 29m each for the work.

The NEC is comprised of the party’s National Executive Committee members, the Secretary General, Deputy Secretary  General, the national treasurer, Deputy National Treasurer; the deputy national treasurer, National Secretaries of NRM,  Members of Parliament (NRM), NRM parliamentary flag bearers and  NRM flag bearers for district chairpersons.

Others are; the Municipality Mayors (NRM), NRM members of East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA), National Executive Committee members of all Special Organs, all Chairpersons of NRM Branches in the Diaspora, 30 Members of NRM Historical Leaders Forum, Chairpersons of NRM District Conferences; NRM Chairpersons of districts, and not more than ten eminent persons elected by the Council upon nomination by the Chairperson.

The Chairperson may invite not more than 5 individuals who have made a special contribution to the struggle or who have special skills or experience, to attend the NEC as observers.

Mr. Mulindwa said that the NRM members of parliament who by the party constitution are members of the NEC will not participate in today’s meeting because the president has already addressed them in their caucus.

“The Mps (NRM) will not be part of this meeting because they recently met the president in the caucus where they agreed on how to popularise the bill. Friday’s (today) meeting will be to explain the bill better to the different party leaders because there has been misinformation about it”. Mr Mulindwa said.