Gov't drops bid to empower president to dissolve parliament

The Ugandan government on Thursday dropped two controversial constitutional amendment proposals that had sought to give the president power to dissolve parliament, officials said. "The Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi told parliament that the government was dropping the proposal to give the president powers to dissolve parliament if there is a stalemate between the executive and the legislature," Bernard Eceru, senior parliamentary spokesman, told IRIN on Friday. "He said [the] government was also dropping the proposal that sought to give the state discretionary powers to acquire private land for development," Eceru added. This meant, according to Eceru, that the two issues would not be raised in a bill, expected in parliament next week, seeking to make a series of amendments including the lifting of a two-term presidential limit. The lifting of the restriction on terms could allow president Yoweri Museveni to run for a third term in office when his tenure expires in 2006. According to a recording of the parliamentary proceedings, Nsibambi told MPs that the government had made the concessions after listening to debates by MPs, who argued that the proposal would erode the independence of the legislature. The government had suggested that in case of an impasse between the president and parliament, the president should resolve the matter, thereby dissolving parliament, leading to fresh elections. Among other proposals included in the bill is a return to multi-party politics for the country, which saw party activities banned some 19 years ago, leaving only the ruling National Resistance Movement as the legitimate political entity.