Kadaga said Ugandans need to know whether there is really a multiparty system and whether it is being practiced since parties are registered and funded but are not allowed to meet, organize and do anything else.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has
questioned the state of the multiparty system in the country, citing the
persistent brutality and harassment directed at the opposition.
This came up during the debate on
the police brutality against the Forum for Democratic Change-FDC party members
and opposition stalwart, Dr. Kiiza Besigye.
On Monday, heavily armed police backed with armored vehicles and
water cannons sprayed Besigye’s cars almost
throwing him out of the roof top of his car. The officer later broke the
windscreen of Besigye’s vehicle and sprayed there teargas to force him out.
The officers also picked up several FDC party
members and locked them at Kira police division. The area MP, Ibrahim Ssemujju
Nganda managed to get away unharmed. Now, in
a heated debate in parliament on Tuesday, MPs questioned why opposition members
are not free to hold any meeting.
Kadaga
said Ugandans need to know whether there is really a multiparty system and whether
it is being practiced since parties are registered and funded but are not
allowed to meet, organize and do anything else.
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The Leader of Opposition, Betty Aol Ochan said members of the
ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM party have been gathering freely
without Governments approval but opposition meetings are always foiled by
police.
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Chris Baryomunsi, the State Minister for Housing asked Police
to do its work professionally but also advised political actors to learn to
respect police. He called upon FDC not to take on the defiance approach.
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Gen Moses Ali, the first Deputy Prime Minister directed the Internal
Affairs Minister to present a statement on what transpired during the Kireka
fracas.
He however, drew outrage from the opposition when he said they will
look at why Police used water cannons against Besigye as opposed to teargas.
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Medard Lubega Ssegona, the Busiro East MP, said General Moses
Ali was wrong to say police should use teargas instead of water cannons.
