MPs oppose increasing sitting days

MPs have rejected a proposal to increase the number of plenary sittings from three working days to four in a week.

Parliament is currently considering the report on the amendment of the House Rules of Procedure that included having plenary on Mondays from the usual Tuesday to Thursday.

The MPs led by the first deputy prime minister, Gen. Moses Ali, said whereas Monday is a cabinet meeting day, considering Friday would as well not be feasible because MPs utilize it to travel to their respective constituencies while others observe it for religious festivities.

'We can't say Parliament sits on Monday when Cabinet is also sitting yet Ministers are an integral part of business here,' said Ali.

The rules and privileges committee chaired by Okello Obote had argued that the need to increase sitting days was premised on the ever-increasing number of parliamentarians.

The 11th Parliament that will be sworn in next week will have 527 MPs down from 400 members.

'The number of MPs grows every other year, what will happen if we increase to 600 members and yet the calendar days are exhausted?' Wondered Lwemiyaga county MP Theodore Ssekikubo.

Budadiri West MP Nandala Mafabi said the decision of when Parliament sits and for how long should be left to the office of the Speaker to determine as and when the need arises.