Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

A11
WORLD NEWS Thursday 28 sepTember 2017

Ugandan lawmaker introduces bill to extend president’s rule

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA Uganda since taking pow-
Associated Press er by force in 1986, is ineli-
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) gible to run again in 2021 if
— A government-backed the age barrier stays.
Ugandan lawmaker in- The draft legislation must
troduced a measure be published in the gov-
Wednesday to extend the ernment gazette before it
long-time president’s rule, is debated in the National
following a fight in which Assembly.
opposition lawmakers were The move to jettison the
forcibly evicted from the age limit is widely seen as
legislative chamber. an effort by Museveni to
The evictions came after extend his rule. Museveni
the parliamentary speak- himself has ducked the
er, a member of the ruling question of whether he is
party, accused some law- interested in more time in
makers of obstructing pro- office, saying recently that
ceedings in a riotous ses- the matter is not so impor-
sion Tuesday during which tant.
legislators brawled over ef- But critics say behind the
forts to introduce legislation scenes he is orchestrating
to remove the presidential the move by lawmakers to
age limit of 75 from Ugan- remove the last hurdle to Ugandan ruling party MP Theodore Sekikuubo, center, who opposes the extension of presidential
da’s constitution. extend his presidency, pos- age limits, is ejected by security after scuffles in the Parliament in Kampala, Uganda Wednesday,
Sept. 27, 2017.
Footage from the legis- sibly to rule for life. (AP Photo/Ronald Kabuubi)
lative chamber showed Presidential term limits were feed. Amnesty Internation- “The media must be left of the Ugandan capital of
some opposition mem- removed from Uganda’s al criticized the regulator’s alone to independently Kampala, told reporters he
bers of parliament being constitution in 2005. threat to revoke or suspend inform and educate the is getting medical care af-
physically manhandled Uganda’s ruling party en- the licenses of noncompli- public, including on the on- ter police officers allegedly
and dragged out by plain- joys an overwhelming ma- ant media organizations. going debates about the “squeezed” his genitals
clothes security officials. jority in the national assem- “These threats, harassment proposed constitutional while arresting him outside
The leader of the oppo- bly and the bill is expected and intimidation are an amendment.” his house last week.
sition, after complaining to pass. attempt to gag the me- Police have violently bro- Museveni, a U.S. ally on re-
that special forces had The country’s media regu- dia, and have no place in ken up street demonstra- gional security, took power
been used to evict her col- lator Wednesday restricted any society that respects tions protesting the effort by force in 1986 and was
leagues, later led her team live coverage of parlia- human rights,” Michelle to amend the constitution, re-elected last year in a
in walking out. mentary sessions, leading Kagari, an Amnesty offi- arresting scores since the poll marred by allegations
President Yoweri Museveni, local television channels cial in East Africa, said in past week. of fraud and voter intimida-
who is 73 and has ruled to stop broadcasting a live a statement Wednesday. Erias Lukwago, the mayor tion. q
South African union workers protest against corruption

By CHRIS TORCHIA protests by the Congress of as a way to restore confi- the ruling party and has sa, who is seen as a lead-
JOHANNESBURG (AP) South South African Trade Unions dence in the ANC, even survived a series of parlia- ing candidate to replace
Africa’s biggest union group in Johannesburg and other though the president’s mentary votes of no con- Zuma and whose remarks
held marches nationwide cities come amid a power second five-year term is fidence sponsored by the critical of corruption were
on Wednesday to protest struggle within the ruling slated to run until elections political opposition.Maneu- interpreted as an attack on
what it alleges is chronic African National Congress in 2019.The demonstrations vering among ANC fac- the president and his asso-
corruption fueled by Presi- party, the former anti- by thousands of members tions is intensifying ahead ciation with the Guptas, a
dent Jacob Zuma and a apartheid movement that of the union group, which of a party conference in family of Indian immigrant
prominent family of busi- has led South Africa since once supported Zuma, are December at which Zuma businessmen accused of
nessmen, reflecting public white minority rule ended unlikely to pose an immedi- will relinquish the post of looting state funds and in-
anger over a scandal that in 1994. Some former loyal- ate threat to the president, party chief.Some marchers fluencing top government
has ensnared several in- ists in the ruling party have who retains the support of voiced support for Deputy appointments for their own
ternational companies.The called for Zuma’s ouster powerful factions within President Cyril Ramapho- benefit.q