Three National Resistance Movement (NRM) vocal legislators have today petitioned the High Court in Kampala seeking an interim order blocking party disciplinary proceedings against them that could result into expulsion from the party. Ndorwa East MP Wilfred Niwagaba, Theodore Ssekikubo for Lwemiyaga and Barnabas Tinkasiimire, the MP for Buyaga West, claim the NRM party is planning to expel them without according them fair hearing.
Three National Resistance Movement (NRM) vocal legislators have today petitioned the High Court in Kampala seeking an interim order blocking party disciplinary proceedings against them that could result into expulsion from the party.
The three include Ndorwa East MP Wilfred Niwagaba, Theodore Ssekikubo for Lwemiyaga and Barnabas Tinkasiimire, the MP for Buyaga West.
In their complaint before court, the legislators claim the NRM party is hearing disciplinary proceedings against them that might result into their being expelled from the party and yet they have not been accorded a hearing. This move, they say, is unfair as per the rules of natural justice.
The outspoken legislators, who are commonly referred to as rebel MPs in the NRM circles, claim their party has not served them with hearing notices to appear before the disciplinary committee.
However, the party claims to have served them through notifications in the media.
The legislators claim that once expelled by the party’s disciplinary committee, they will have no option to appeal against its decision since its final. It’s upon this basis that they are asking court to block the party from its intended move to expel them if justice is to be done.
Court documents show that MP Tinkasiimire is accused of protesting the ruling of the Speaker of Parliament on the oil Bill debate. Early this year, the MPs collected signatures to recall Parliament from recess to discuss what they called an attack on the independence of the House by President Yoweri Museveni. Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, however, did not recall the House after some legislators disowned their signatures and said they had been forged.
MP Ssekikubo is accused of denouncing the NRM party before participating in the press conference and accusing his party of having bribed legislators to pass the health budget.
On the other hand, MPs Niwagaba and Tinkasiimire who are active members of the Parliamentary Forum on Oil, are accused of opposing the party’s position on the heated oil debate.
Documents show that on November 26, 2012, the MPs protested the ruling of the Speaker of Parliament to vote on the oil Bill contrary to the NRM Parliamentary Caucus decision to recommit the Bill voting.
NRM claims to have on several occasions summoned these MPs since late last year to appear before the disciplinary committee but in vain.
Court has subsequently, fixed Friday at 4pm, to hear the application for interim order.
