Presiding apostle of the Born Again Faith Federation and lead Pastor of Victory Church Ndeeba, Dr Joseph Serwadda has asked President Yoweri K. Museveni to make his position clear on the on-going debate of amending article 102 (b) of the Constitution to lift presidential age limit.
Dr Joseph Serwadda made these remarks in a joint statement issued by clergy under the Inter-religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) on Monday at Namirembe – Kampala.
This development follows countless verbal attacks against religious leaders by anti-age limit removal MPs who say clergy men “bury their heads in the sand” once political matters of national importance come up in parliament.
“Religious leaders, where are you?” MP Muhammad Nsereko of Kampala Central asked at a press conference outside parliament on Wednesday. “On the marriage and divorce you are very vocal, but where are you when Ugandans are talking about the age limit?”
Dr Joseph Serwadda said “a true statesman is one who asserts himself on a matter that divides society.”
“He should come clean on this matter,” Dr Serwadda said.
The religious leaders described “the lifting of the age limit on the presidency as a “delicate matter” which ought not to be monopolized by politicians in parliament.”
A sect of legislatures subscribing to the ruling party , National Resistance Movement, evoked the general public last Tuesday when they endorsed a motion seeking to delete among others, Article 102 (b) of the constitution which states that a person is not qualified for election as president of Uganda if he or she is “less than thirty-five years and or more than seventy-five years of age.”
What has the President so far said about the Age-limit talk?
“Volunteers”
During a nationwide televised interview last week, President Museveni, explained that the law sets guidelines on how the Constitution can be amended and MPs would follow that process.
He called the NRM and independent MPs passing a resolution to move a motion in Parliament paving way for a Bill to amend Article 102(b) to scrap the age limit “volunteers.”
“That was not the official NRM caucus. But they are NRM people who have brought their views. In Runyakole, we call them Nyekundire [volunteers]. Originally, they were provoked by malicious people,” President Museveni said.
“Idlers”
Prior to the above report, “Museveni had described as idle the people propagating rumours around the possibility that Article 102 (b) – which capped the eligibility to stand for President between 35 and 75 years – is going to be lifted.” A state aided news daily reported 20th July, 2017.
aaron@ugchristiannews.com
