Constitutional Review Commission taking too long-Kadaga

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, says the formation of the Constitutional Review Commission has taken too long and has expressed fear that it may never come to pass.
Kadaga said government has promised to have the Commission in place but, ‘I don’t think it is coming’.

“President Museveni directed the Attorney General to handle issues that arose from the Constitutional Court ruling but not other areas of the Constitution. I am really disappointed,” the Speaker said.

The Speaker made the remarks while meeting the Eminent Persons Group for the Uganda National Dialogue Process at Parliament, Tuesday, 24 July 2018.
The Group led by the Mufti, Sheikh Ramathan Mubajje, was formed by the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda and the Elders Forum of Uganda to provide leadership for the convening of the dialogue process.

Mubajje said that the national dialogue will be structured in four stages, which will include a citizen led process and political negotiations through the Inter Party Organisation on Democracy (IPOD) among others.
“The third is the Museveni-Besigye mediation and the Constitutional Review Commission that is yet to be put in place by government,” he said.

The Mufti added that Parliament should pass laws that will give effect to the outcomes of the dialogue process.

“This will be an expression of the free will of Ugandans in the range of issues that affect our country,” Mubajje said adding that, “we request your offices to appropriate funds to facilitate the process as a regular platform that brings us together in a non-partisan forum”.

The Speaker said there is need to budget for the process and not have funds as a supplementary, which is not sustainable.
“If we believe in national dialogue, we need to create a vote because we need continuity. We also need to have a basis for this; what is the legal structure of that dialogue?” she asked.

The Chairperson of the Elders Forum, Retired Justice James Ogoola said that the need for national dialogue goes beyond individuals and parties which will lead to peace, justice and prosperity.
“The aim is to have the country move away from violence, assassinations and coups to a stable and peaceful nation,” Ogoola said.

The launch of the national dialogue process will start with a plenary in September 2018. The plenary will adopt the draft framework paper, constitute technical working committees and sanction consultations in 17 sub regions across the country.