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By Cyprian Musoke
WOMEN MPs want the Constitution to provide for a woman vice-president and 50% representation of women in Parliament. They have asked for a constitutional provision for a woman Vice-President, whenever the President happens to be a man.
Meeting President Museveni on Friday from 10:00pm to 1:00am, the Uganda Women Parliamentarians Association (UWOPA) said the choice of a Vice-President should not be left to the discretion of a sitting president.
“He (Museveni) gave us homework on how it should be done, and said that he would consider it,” UWOPA chairperson Mary Amajo said at the weekend.
Museveni in 1994 appointed Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe Uganda’s first female Vice-President. She resigned in 2003 to pursue further studies.
The female legislators also asked for proportional (50%) representation in Parliament, to emulate countries that are working towards that. The women
asked that among the 10 ex-officio ministerial appointees the President makes, more slots be allotted to women.
They asked him to back a woman for the vacant Mbarara Municipality seat, which fell vacant after Winnie Byanyima resigned.
The President asked the women to work out a way in which their demands would be accommodated without increasing the size of Parliament, or antagonising his support among the women.
However, former UWOPA chief Loyce Bwambale said, “The response of the President did not meet the women’s expectations. We did not get any precise commitment.”
Published on: Sunday, 13th March, 2005
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