Former deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah claims that Parliament will gain strength and confidence under his leadership.
The former deputy Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah has said Parliament will regain its strength and trust once he is elected as the next speaker.
Oulanyah made the remarks in an interview with journalists on Friday at the NRM electoral commission headquarters in Kyadondo where he had gone to present his interest forms for the Speakership position.
He said in previous regimes, parliament has lost its reputation among members of the general public but assured that during his tenure, the 11th house will not only redeem its image but also the way they handle issues.
“We don’t want the next five years to be like the previous five years of parliament. We want history to be rewritten and the story of parliament to be retold,” the Omoro County legislator said.
“We want to build trust with the public that when you go to your constituency, people will stand and say a Member of Parliament has come. We want to change the way we do things. We want to restore confidence for the people in the institution where they send their representatives.”
Oulanyah who has been serving as deputy speaker for the last 10 years is now vying for the top position of Parliament. He, however, faces competition from fellow legislators including the incumbent Rebecca Kadaga, Ibrahim Ssemujju, and Richard Ssebamala.
For the past weeks, there has been a disagreement among members of the ruling party on who to front in the parliamentary speakership race.
In his recent interviews, Jacob Oulanyah says he is the rightful candidate to take up the position after an agreement the party made in 2016 to allow Kadaga to complete her 10-year tenure.
The Kamuli District Woman MP, however, has since dismissed the claims of a five-year-old gentleman’s agreement saying that Speakership is not like herding cattle where you determine what will happen in future.
Kadaga made the remarks on Wednesday after she had submitted her expression of interest letter for a third term for Parliament’s top office.
This meanwhile comes at a time when the Central Executive Committee, which is the top organ of the ruling party on Monday revealed that the party will make a decision on who to front through voting which will be done by secret ballot.
“Voting shall be by secret ballot and voting by proxy shall not be allowed. The winners shall be declared on the basis of those candidates who shall obtain a simple majority of the total votes counted in the election,” Dr Tanga Odoi the party EC Chairperson revealed.
