Uganda mulls proposal to extend presidential, parliamentary terms

KAMPALA, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has appointed a committee to scrutinize a proposal seeking to extend the presidential and parliamentary elective term of office from the current five to seven years.

Ruth Nankabirwa, the government Chief Whip told Xinhua on Thursday that a committee will scrutinize the legalities and technicalities over a proposal by one of the legislators of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) to amend article 105 of the Constitution to extend the term of elective offices from five years to seven years.

The committee includes Adolf Mwesige, defense minister, Henry Tumukunde, security minister, deputy Attorney General, Mwesigwa Rukutana and David Bahati, state minister for planning, among others.

"The proposal is very popular. The committee will come up with a harmonized position on the matter," said Nankabirwa.

The ruling legislators on Tuesday met with Museveni to discuss the final position on the removal of the presidential age limit of 75 years and proposed extension of elective term of office.

Museveni last week told legislators on the legal and parliamentary affairs committee scrutinizing the removal of presidential age limit of 75 years that African leaders need adequate time to develop the continent.

"For these countries with all these problems, two terms of five years is just a joke. There is merit at looking at the seven years. It would give some time to these young countries to develop," said Museveni.

The appointment of the committee comes ahead of the legislators vote on a controversial amendment bill that seeks to scrap the presidential age limit of 75 years.

Opposition legislators and campaigners have opposed the bill arguing that the move by the ruling party is intended to allow Museveni, now 73, to run in the 2021 elections when he will be over 75.

The NRM party has over 250 out of 430 legislators in the country's Parliament. Some observers believe when the bill and proposed extension of term of office comes on the floor of parliament, it will be passed because of the NRM's majority advantage. Enditem