Opposition political parties in Parliament have indicated that they have fronted Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda for the impending Speaker race to replace fallen Jacob Oulanyah. 

They have also ring-fenced the deputy speaker slot for Bugiri Municipality MP Asumani Basalirwa in case the position falls vacant when the current office bearer, Ms Anita Among, is approved by the Central Executive Committee of the ruling party to run for speakership.

Sources that attended the meeting yesterday told Daily Monitor that Mr Yusuf Nsibambi, who run for the Deputy Speaker last year, opted out of the race, giving lee-way to Mr Basalirwa who had earlier expressed his intentions to stand for the position.

This decision was temporarily arrived at during a meeting of the shadow cabinet chaired by the Manjiya County MP John Baptist Nambeshe who doubles as the Opposition chief whip in Parliament.

Mr Nambeshe told Daily Monitor yesterday that the decisions by the Shadow Cabinet were pending Opposition caucus approval, which will be sitting tomorrow to rubber-stamp their candidate.

“We don’t have enough time to prepare for this abrupt election but we sat and made decisions. There are people who ran in this race but when we approached them, one of them refused to stand. But we shall have a caucus meeting on Thursday to finish up this matter,” Mr Nambeshe said in an interview.

Lawmakers will on Friday elect a new Speaker of the 11th Parliament following the death of incumbent Oulanyah, according to the Constitution.

Most of the Opposition political parties Daily Monitor talked to indicated that they would be waiting for the decision from the caucus, which according to them, will give the final direction which the entire minority group in Parliament will follow. 

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Mr Basalirwa said: “I have presented myself for the position and provided my documents to the top leadership of the Opposition. I am waiting for their decision in caucus after the Thursday meeting. I know I am a qualified candidate and I know my members will support me.”

On whether or not, the National Unity Platform (NUP), the largest Opposition party in Parliament will present a candidate, Mr David Lewis Rubonoya, the party secretary general, said: “We have not come up with any names from within because we are an inclusive party. We know that some parties presented members in the same positions during the last election whom we would like to support. But if any changes are to be made, we will inform the public.”

Mr Patrick Oboi Amuriat, the FDC president, earlier yesterday told Daily Monitor that they were not intending to present any candidates since they already have Mr Ssemujju and Mr Nsibambi who were in the previous race.

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“If they agree to run, our policy is that the candidates who have been in the race will hold the party flag until the end of the term of office. This means we already have candidates if they agree to stand,” he said. By Derrick Wandera, Daily Monitor