A member of parliament from Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) says he is excited and feels vindicated following the Supreme Court’s ruling that prevents his expulsion from the legislative body.
Theodore Ssekikubo and three other members of parliament were expelled from the NRM after they were accused of being rebels and undermining the party by refusing to follow instructions from the party. The NRM contends that the continued stay of the “rebel lawmakers” in parliament” contravened the constitution, since they don’t belong to the party anymore following their expulsion.
Lawmakers Ssekikubo, Wilfred Niwagaba, Mohammed Nsereko, and Barnabas Tinkasiimire, appealed the constitutional court’s ruling, which backed the NRM’s position that the expelled parliamentarians should vacate their seats in the lawmaking body since they do not represent the party anymore.
The Constitutional Court then ordered the “rebel parliamentarians” out of parliament and declared their seats vacant.
But, the Supreme Court ruling on Friday that followed an appeal by the lawmakers, said the NRM party does not have the power to remove the lawmakers from parliament. Local media quoted justices of the Supreme Court as saying “Political parties cannot subvert the will of the people.” Read more
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