Parliament has reconvened to take a final decision on the controversial Public Order Management Bill 2011.
Uganda Parliament
Before the Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah suspended the morning plenary session to enable the differing parties generate a consensus, a number of opposition MPs were in arms to foil the move.
They demanded that matter be taken back to the public for consultation like the shelved Marriage and Divorce Bill. Oulanyah however, threw out their plea and insisted that a decision had to be taken.
During the stormy debate, the opposition MPs kept accusing the other side of the House of being ‘voting machines’ who run to the House to vote in Government’s favour.
Members of the public seeking to hold public meetings will have to notify the police within three days before they can be allowed to go on with the meetings or demonstrations.
According to clause 7 of the Bill, an organizer shall give notice in writing to the Inspector General of Police of the intention to hold a public meeting, at least seven days but not more than fifteen days before the proposed date of a public meeting.
The Bill which seeks to regulate public meetings and use of public address systems, has however, been widely criticized by both human rights activists and political organizations saying it infringes on human rights and it’s a replica of the already existing laws.
By Mary Karugaba, The New Vision
