Let Parliament Work Independentl
By Muhimbise George
In a recent move, the President returned the Appropriation Bill 2024 to Parliament for review, accusing the legislative body of “diverting” 3 trillion shillings over the past three years. In this specific budget over 700 billion had been reallocated by MPs to different sectors as opposed the initial proposals by the Executive. President Museveni described this as an act of sabotage against his budgetary powers for the country. Furthermore, he criticized MPs for allocating funds in ways that he perceives as efforts to gain cheap popularity in their constituencies.
According to the President, when an MP lobbies for projects like schools or bridges for their constituency, it is merely a bid for local favor and he looks at this as some sort of corruption. It appears it’s him only who knows what is good for the country and others know nothing.
The President’s anger stems from among others the MPs’ decision to reallocate 300 billion shillings from Roko Constructions to purchasing 80 ambulances for various districts, funding regional referral hospitals and supporting secondary schools, among other initiatives. This certainly brings many questions than answers as to who means well for our country.
The President’s dissatisfaction overlooks the fundamental role of Parliament in the appropriation process. He seems to believe that every proposal from the Cabinet should pass through Parliament without scrutiny or amendments. If this were the case, Parliament would become a mere rubber stamp, devoid of its critical oversight function.
It is important to note that the Executive is actively involved in the budget process at both technical and political levels. Ministry of Finance officers attend all Budget Committee meetings to provide technical input, while line ministers participate throughout the budget process at both committee and plenary levels.
Before passing the budget, Parliament forms itself into a Committee of Supply, a session chaired by the Speaker of Parliament, where each budget item is discussed and voted upon. During these sessions, the Minister of Finance and line ministers can make their inputs. The Prime Minister, as the leader of government business in Parliament, also plays a significant role and can guide Parliament on government positions accordingly. These sessions provide ample opportunities for the Executive to present and defend its budget proposals and to request deferments for further consultations with the President if necessary. Therefore for the President to accuse Parliament of diverting money without the Executive input is to suggest that his Ministers are either incompetent or are working against him.
Parliament is designed to be an independent body. Its appropriation powers exist to eliminate excesses in the budget and align it with the needs of the population since MPs represent the populace. The doctrine of separation of powers ensures checks and balances among the three branches of government, serving the best interests of the citizens.
Therefore, the President’s characterization of Parliament’s actions as sabotage is misguided and detrimental to democratic governance. Parliament should be allowed to work independently without undue influence and blackmail by the Executive.
Muhimbise Georgem, uhimbiseg@gmail.com
The author is a political analyst
