Ugandan legislators start final stage on removal of presidential age limit

KAMPALA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan legislators on Wednesday voted to start amending the country's Constitution to remove the presidential age limit of 75 years.

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga said 317 legislators mainly from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party voted to start the final process while 97 legislators mainly from Opposition voted against.

Opposition and campaigners who are opposed to the bill, argued that the move by NRM is intended to allow incumbent President Museveni, now 73, to run in the 2021 elections when he will be over 75.

The NRM argues that the age cap should not be a deterrent to any individual who wants to run for presidency.

The legislators now proceed to consider clause by clause of the bill at the parliamentary committee stage before a final vote is taken at the third reading for the bill to pass into law.

The bill will then wait for President Museveni to assent it to become an act.

Museveni has previously said he supports the removal of the presidential age limit. Enditem