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President Museveni has promised to defeat Members of Parliament who are against the removal of the age limit clause from the constitution which now curtails him from pursuing a life presidency.
Check also: The Age Limit Bill Is All About President Museveni People Shouldn’t Be Blindfolded- Prof Venansius Baryamureeba Says
He made the threats in a letter dated November 7 addressed to anti-age limit MPs [NRM rebel MPs] Ssekikubo Theodore, Lwemiyaga County, Tinkasimiire Barnabas, Buyaga West County, Amoding Monicah, Kumi District and Nsamba Oshabe Patrick, Kasanda County North.
He was responding to the letter the MPs wrote to him on October 4, concerning the age limit debate.
Tinkasimiire told edge.ug on Tuesday that in their letter, the MPs asked Museveni to come out publically and confirm whether it was him sponsoring Arua MP Ibrahim Abiriga to popularise the age limit bill.
They tasked him to call all ruling National Resistance Movement [NRM] structures so they can debate the matter.
“That is why he rushed to call the Central Executive Committee [EC] and National Executive Committee [NEC]. He later sent them to districts to consult on age limit,” Tinkasimiire said.
He said the third thing they pointed out to Museveni was that he personally promised Ugandans on a national television that at 75 years, one doesn’t have vigour enough to lead the country.
He said that if looking for an energetic president, they wouldn’t look for someone above 75 years.
“He [Museveni] said he would not offer himself. That is why we asked him to transfer power. He did not answer it,” the former NRM rebel MP explained.
Museveni responds
Museveni, in his response, reminded the MPs that as he said in his address to the caucus on 13 October, this debate was not new. It is in the same caucus that he kicked out these same MPs for opposing age limit.
Museveni said Hon Anna Maria Nankabirwa raised the issue at Kyankwanzi last year in the month of July.
“I advised her to concentrate on the immediate issues of this kisanja. The issue of the age limit could be addressed later, if necessary.”
He said back-bench members of parliament taking the initiative is not necessarily a problem if it does not involved spending money on a regular basis.
He said Uganda was liberated by freedom fighters supported by the masses and NRM has ensured peace in the country, ensured economic recovery and development.
“Many you have benefited from that work literary and metaphorically. It is your duty to contribute to that process and not to undermine it,” the president wrote.
He said there are still problems of poverty (19% now from 56% in 1989) and also inadequate jobs. “This partly is due to the obstruction by some of you [MPs],” he pointed out.
“Nevertheless, with or without you, the loyal NRM leaders and address have created a base to deal with jobs and poverty by ensuring peace, improved infrastructure, ensuring the integration of African markets, creating the wealth funds, youth fund etc.”
He went more personal: “Many of you who talk negatively have not contributed to the ideology of patriotism, to the liberation of the country, to the recovery of the economy and country, to the consolidation of peace or to the great developments that we have achieved.”
The president concluded with a threat: “Yet you benefit economically and otherwise. We call this parasitism and that parasitism will be resisted and defeated.”
Source: edge ug
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