Basing in South Africa where he is attending the BRICS summit, President Museveni has defended the 7-year term of office for Members of Parliament and the Presidency saying five years are few for any development to take place.
Museveni’s defence comes after the Constitutional Court sitting in Mbale High Court annulled the Constitutional Amendment extending the tenure of MPs from five to seven years.
“Unfortunately, our judges in Uganda spend more time on form and not substance, with the 5 years, a lot of time is spent on electioneering and less time on development. The first two years; settling in, the 3rd year some work in the constituency and, then, by the 4th year, electioneering again.”
Museveni, who also will miss out on the seven years consoled the NRM MPs that “the Judges are not the ones in charge of the country” and that if they (MPs) follow his lead, they will bounce back to Parliament.
“If the NRM MPs follow my guidelines and bond closely with the people, through wealth and job creation, we can, together with the people, make the necessary Constitutional reforms, judges or no judges,” he added.
“The Judges should have taken into consideration the recent LC.1 and Women Councils elections which gave massive victory to the NRM, soon after the age limit and the seven years’ debate. This was more or less a referendum,” Ssabalwanyi (Freedom Fighter) – as he called himself – added.