The Parliament exhibition that has been ongoing for the past three weeks has singled out the Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Annet Among as the main target of the exhibition with almost every problem or perceived problem in Parliament being put on her back.
First, Parliament is governed by the Parliamentary Commission which is comprised of the Speaker, Deputy, Leader of Opposition, Minister of Finance, Prime Minister and four back bench Commissioners. Decisions in the Commission are made collectively, making it unjust to single out Anita Among for the Commission’s decisions, this boarders with witch-hunt.
Certainly the claim by the exhibitors that the Among is targeted because she purportedly influences these decisions is a lame one because it doesn’t take away the mandate of other members of the Commission. So if Among was such a ‘bad’ leader, then the fellow Members of the Commission should have stood their feet, but because someone wants Anita Among down, everything will be crafted and put on her head as if she runs the institution singlehandedly.
Thirdly, questions regarding Finance Management have been raised. Me and you know that the accounting officer of Parliament is the Clerk to Parliament. He is responsible for the management of the funds and other technical work. Luckily the Clerk to Parliament is a lawyer and former Attorney General who understands the law to the dot and so he can’t preside over such purpoted ‘mismanagement’. That again shows that the purpose of the exhibition is just about Anita Among the person. If they were presenting credible evidence, they should have pinned the Accounting Officer who is the Clerk to Parliament!
Good enough the Speaker has refused to be sucked into such comedy. She says she cannot respond to rumors being peddled on social media and challenged anyone to table evidence pinning her or the institution.
Agather as a lawyer knows the principle of presumption of innocence until proven guilty as a non derogable right. But also as a journalist she knows that it’s unfair to publish any information before engaging or getting an opinion from the person you are writing about for purposes of fairness and being balanced reporting. But Agather wakes up, posts unverified information, incites mob justice and cyber bullying of the leaders and then demands that Parliament should respond, She has therefore faulted both the legal and journalism principles!
Agather also knows that in a criminal matters like this, the burden of proof lies with the accuser and the standard of proof is ‘beyond reasonable’ doubt. So the exhibitors have a duty to prove the authenticity of their information. It’s not Parliament to prove them right, it’s them to prove their allegations!
Intriguingly, the question of homosexuals supporting the war against the Speaker Among has also been raised. First it’s on record that Among was banned from travelling to most European Countries and America over the Anti-homosexuality law. She was singled out alone, even when the law was supported by everybody including the Cabinet. This means that the gay community took it as a matter of Among as an individual not the whole Parliament or even Cabinet.
Secondly the same people who banned the Speaks from travelling to their countries are the same people who have awarded Agather Atuhaire for being a ‘Woman of Courage’, at a time when she is leading a campaign against Speaker Among. Even a certified fool would clearly see that it was a well calculated move intended to give this campaign the much needed momentum. The award was intended to give Agather credibility so that even her allegations against the Speaker during the exhibition are given the same attention!
The author is a Pan African,
georges2010ug@gmail.com
