Speaker’s threats are diversionary – Mpuuga

The Leader of Opposition (LoP) Hon Mathias Mpuuga has defied the Speaker’s directives she issued and described them as diversionary.

Speaking to journalists at a press conference held at Parliament regarding the Opposition’s ongoing boycott of plenary sittings, Mpuuga said his side will not engage in verbal exchanges with the Speaker who is meant to be an arbiter between the two warring sides; Government and the Opposition.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon Anitah Annet Among yesterday demanded all Members of Parliament (MPs) boycotting plenary to write to her individually.

She also imposed a travel ban abroad, asking to have boycotting MPs to be deleted from the list of players for the East African games & she also barred MPs boycotting plenary sittings from attending Committee meetings.

“All those threats are a diversionary and fortunately for us, we are very clear headed in what we are doing. There is no constituency, that elected any MP on account of being an athlete or footballer. So those small diversions as political leaders in parliament, we understand them, but we can’t be diverted. Ours is a humble call to the Speaker as a neutral arbiter to follow up on her order to the executive,” said Mpuuga.

Mpuuga made it clear that there is no amount of comparison or juxtaposition one can make of the allowance MPs get out travel per diem, with the lives of the people who have been killed or gone missing.

“Otherwise our demands still stand that we aren’t available. The days we gave to the Executive, once they expire, we shall one day return to the House to make another demand that they show us the burial grounds of the bodies of these missing Ugandans. That they (Security Ministers) travelled for a security meeting out of the country, is it true that they are in exile and aren’t going to come back? Are they dead? Have they disappeared like the other people disappeared? These gentlemen are alive, we need them back to respond,”

Opposition MPs boycotted the plenary sittings in protest of the alleged government’s continued killings, abductions, illegal incarcerations and violation of human rights of opposition supporters and politicians.