Stephen Tashobya, chair of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of the Ugandan Parliament, told me yesterday that he had not scheduled consideration for the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Asked if his committee would write a new report, or stick with the report issued during the last Parliament, Tashobya declined to say. “The committee will have a say on that and we will meet soon to decide how to proceed with all of the bills returned to the committee,” Tashobya explained.
When asked if he planned to have the anti-gay bill back to the floor of the Parliament within the required 45 day period, Tashobya expressed some reservations that he could guarantee that time table. He noted, “We have many bills which have a high priority, such as the Marriage and Divorce bill and other bills on commerce.”
Parliament rules require bills sent to committee to be acted on and returned for consideration within 45 days. Last year, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga warned committee chairs that they could face unspecified sanctions if this rule was not kept.
According to Parliament’s rules (see below), Tashobya could ask Parliament for more time if the committee has not prepared the necessary report within 45 days. At that point, Parliament could grant or decline the request. If the request is declined, Parliament could act on the bill at that point. If an extension is granted, the bill will be considered at the end of that period whether or not the committee’s work is complete.
When asked if he had been pressured by the Executive branch to go slow on the anti-gay bill, Tashobya said he was unable to comment.
Tashobya, who was not at Parliament the day the bill was tabled, said he is aware that the bill has wide support among the MPs.
From Uganda’s Rules of Parliamentary Procedures
125. Delays with Bills
(1) Subject to the Constitution, no Bill introduced in the House shall be with the Committee for consideration for more than forty-five days.
(2) If a Committee finds itself unable to complete consideration of any Bill referred to it in sub-rule (1), the Committee may seek extra time from Parliament.
(3) Where extra time is not granted or upon expiry of the extra time granted under subrule (2), the House shall proceed to deal with the Bill without any further delay.
Maazi,
I am aware of a member of your parliament who is having extensive conversations with gay people and their sympathizers in the US on a website hosted by a college professor. I have suspicions that he may actually be gay. If your law is passed, who should I contact to turn him in? Maybe he is not actually gay, but it is all very suspicious, so I’m sure that your government would want to get involved and check things out.
Obviously, Parliament has many other matters to deal with. So the anti-gay bill will have to wait its turn to be handled through the parliamentary processes.
Even people who were not in the Ugandan Parliament because they were hundreds of miles away in Europe and America (e.g. Richard Willmer ; Warren Throckmorton ; Timothy Kincaid ; Barack Obama ; David Cameron ; Rick Warren ; Hilary Clinton ; etc; etc) are aware that the bill has wide support among Ugandan MPs
I am deeply flattered and impressed that you took the trouble to read and digest our parliamentary procedures which runs in 137 pages of A4 paper sheets. Don’t think I will return the favour by reading and digesting the more complicated legislative procedures of your own bicameral United States Congress 🙂
I am no more threatened by them as I am threatened by prostitutes or drug dealers. Gayism is a sex crime and parliamentarians has right to increase the scope of punishment without foreign interests breathing down their necks.
This is the sort of pseudo-science that allows gay sex practitioners to prance about screaming that they are “normal”. By the logic of this pseudo-science, almost the entire male population of Uganda are secretly wanting to have anal sex with professional gay sex practitioners
My obssession is that you chaps in the West should back-off. Uganda is our country and you have absolutely no right to barge in, making silly threats. Many MPs (myself included) have had our email accounts jammed with rubbish emails from foreigners obssessed with Uganda. Let me assure you that these threats merely help build resolve and determination for the bill to become law.
Maazi,
Why are you so threatened by gay people? Often the men most threatened are those who secretly have attraction to the same sex. I’m not saying that is the case for you, but you are oddly obsessed with this.
Maazi,
I am aware of a member of your parliament who is having extensive conversations with gay people and their sympathizers in the US on a website hosted by a college professor. I have suspicions that he may actually be gay. If your law is passed, who should I contact to turn him in? Maybe he is not actually gay, but it is all very suspicious, so I’m sure that your government would want to get involved and check things out.
I am no more threatened by them as I am threatened by prostitutes or drug dealers. Gayism is a sex crime and parliamentarians has right to increase the scope of punishment without foreign interests breathing down their necks.
This is the sort of pseudo-science that allows gay sex practitioners to prance about screaming that they are “normal”. By the logic of this pseudo-science, almost the entire male population of Uganda are secretly wanting to have anal sex with professional gay sex practitioners
My obssession is that you chaps in the West should back-off. Uganda is our country and you have absolutely no right to barge in, making silly threats. Many MPs (myself included) have had our email accounts jammed with rubbish emails from foreigners obssessed with Uganda. Let me assure you that these threats merely help build resolve and determination for the bill to become law.
Maazi,
Why are you so threatened by gay people? Often the men most threatened are those who secretly have attraction to the same sex. I’m not saying that is the case for you, but you are oddly obsessed with this.
Obviously, Parliament has many other matters to deal with. So the anti-gay bill will have to wait its turn to be handled through the parliamentary processes.
Even people who were not in the Ugandan Parliament because they were hundreds of miles away in Europe and America (e.g. Richard Willmer ; Warren Throckmorton ; Timothy Kincaid ; Barack Obama ; David Cameron ; Rick Warren ; Hilary Clinton ; etc; etc) are aware that the bill has wide support among Ugandan MPs
I am deeply flattered and impressed that you took the trouble to read and digest our parliamentary procedures which runs in 137 pages of A4 paper sheets. Don’t think I will return the favour by reading and digesting the more complicated legislative procedures of your own bicameral United States Congress 🙂