High Court in Kampala on Friday dismissed an application filed by opposition party leaders, seeking an interim order stopping Parliament from amending the Constitution to remove the Presidential age caps.
Leaders Asuman Basalirwa, Abed Bwanika and Ken Lukwamuzi had petitioned court, arguing that such an amendment should be decided upon by the citizens through a referundum.
The Court’s registrar Joy Kabagye in her ruling Friday said that while there were merits in the arguments raised by the applicants, Parliament is an independent arm of government that must be left to do its work.
“ Parliament has a constitutional mandate under Article 79 to make laws, which cannot easily be interrupted,” Kabagye ruled.
She also ruled that the applicants had dragged Parliament to court but didn’t add the Electoral Commission, which was the party against whom they had issues.
Bwanika claimed the commission deliberately frustrated his efforts to call for a referendum by delaying to respond to his letter.
Kabagye also advised the applications to appeal her ruling in case they felt dissatisfied. But the applicants’ lawyers revealed that they still have more plans to stop parliament from proceeding with the bill.
Parliament on Monday will be sitting to receive a report from the legal affairs committee on the amendment bill.
