Court rejects petition to block vote on removing Uganda's presidential age limit

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni Photo:Courtesy

A court in Uganda has declined to issue an interim order restraining legislators to vote on a controversial constitutional amendment Bill seeking to scrap the presidential age limit of 75 years, a judiciary spokesperson said.

 Ugandan Judiciary Senior Communication Officer Solomon Muyita in a phone conversation said that Joy Kabagye, the High Court's assistant registrar, late on Friday dismissed an Opposition petition to block the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to table its report before Parliament and allow the legislators to vote to amend Article 102 (b) to scrap the presidential age limit of 75 years without consulting citizens through a referendum.

"The registrar ruled it would be unfair to issue an order to stop Parliament and legislators to exercise their duties to make and amend laws," Muyita said.

Three Opposition leaders Asuman Basalirwa, Abed Bwanika and Ken Lukyamuzi last week filed an application with the High Court in the capital of Kampala against the Attorney General and Parliament in a bid to stop legislators from debating and voting on the bill without first consulting Ugandans through a referendum. Kabagye in her Friday ruling said that Parliament is an independent institution, which is mandated to make new laws and amend the Constitution.