Ugandan Lawmakers Brawl in Parliament
A fistfight broke out in Uganda’s parliament on Tuesday during a debate regarding the presidential age-limit.
Members of Parliament screamed, shoved, threw punches and hurled documents at each other in a brawl between the ruling party and members of the opposition.
At least one MP attempted to hit an opponent over the head with a chair.
The chaos began when a Forum for Democratic Change member accused a ruling party legislator of sneaking a gun into parliament.
Speaker Rebecca Kadaga ordered each lawmaker to be searched for weapons, in an attempt to regain control. No weapons were found.
President Yoweri Museveni’s party was set to introduce a motion on Tuesday, to remove the presidential age-limit. Uganda’s constitution currently prevents anyone over the age of 75 from running for president.
Political leaders have speculated that President Museveni is trying to extend his rule, who at 73 is ineligible to run for re-election in 2021. Repeatedly asked whether he wants to remain President, Museveni has avoided answering the question, saying that the issue is “not so important”.
Museveni took power by force in 1986 and was re-elected last year in an election fraught with allegations of fraud and voter intimidation.
Crowds gathered in Kampala to protest the bill on Tuesday. Police fired tear gas into the crowd and arrested many of the demonstrators.
Uganda’s ruling party enjoys an overwhelming majority in the national assembly and the bill is expected to pass.
Image: Brawl in Parliament [online image] (2017) sourced on 27 September 2017 from https://i.cbc.ca/1.4307869.1506450897!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/uganda-politics-brawl-chair.jpg
