Parliament of Uganda has elected NRM flag bearer Anita Among Speaker by 401 votes to replace the Jacob Oulanyah who passed on last week.
Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa who was flag bearer for the opposition, got 66 votes.
The special sitting of the House for election of the speaker took place this morning at the Kololo ceremonial grounds.
Bukedea District Woman MP Among has been sworn in and is now expected to immediately preside over the election of the Deputy Speaker as stipulated by Rule 6 (4) of the Rules of Procedure which also states that, “An election to the Office of Deputy Speaker shall be held at the first sitting of Parliament after that office becomes vacant.”
Among was picked flagbearer in the race for Speakership, while Tayebwa was unopposed for position of Deputy Speaker. The NRM top organs Central Executive Committee (CEC) and the NRM caucus, both made the approvals.
Oulanyah breathed his last in Seattle, United States of America (USA) on Sunday, 20 March 2022. Oulanyah’s body is expected to be repatriated this week.
The Speaker’s unprecedented death forced MPs back to the ballot box hardly a year after they converged at the same venue where Oulanyah and Anita Among were elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.
Parliament’s decision to elect the new Speaker as fast as possible is guided by Article 82 (4) of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda that refrains Parliament from conducting any other business other than the election of the Speaker at any time that office is vacant.