Chris Ocowun
1 April 2008
Kampala — INTERNALLY Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Aswa county, Gulu district have called for a referendum on the controversial land amendment Bill.
The IDPs made the proposal on Tuesday, while meeting area MP Reagan Okumu at Adak, Pabwor and Laroo villages.
Mzee Dwoka, an elder in Laroo village, said he feared MPs could be bribed to pass the Bill and demanded direct participation of the citizens through a referendum.
Margaret Akello in Adak village said it would be unfair for MPs from other regions to vote on mailo land, which is restricted to Buganda.
"Let there be a referendum for us to decide on the Bill instead of you doing it alone in Parliament. Let each area, for example, we in the north vote on customary land and those in Buganda vote on mailo land," Akello said.
She said MPs were susceptible to bribery, referring to the sh5m facilitation given to legislators before the lifting of presidential term limits in the Constitution.
"Okumu, we shall lynch you if you accept money to pass the Bill and sell our interests," she warned.
The MP backed the referendum, saying it would enable people express themselves freely.
"The referendum is something I had not thought about.
"It is a reasonable demand. I will pursue it. The Bill has become so controversial that it can only be best handled through a referendum as the IDPs have said."
The Bill has created controversy mainly between the Government and Buganda kingdom.
Whereas the State argues that the Bill seeks to protect tenants from illegal evictions by landlords, Mengo claims it is a ploy to grab their land.
The most recent controversy has been over the question of the 9,000 square miles of land, which Buganda says the Government should pass over to the kingdom.
In a recent statement, the deputy Attorney General, Fred Ruhindi, rubbished the demand, saying the land was less than 9,000 square miles and was under the district land boards, not the kingdom.
A select committee of Parliament is currently conducting public hearings on the Bill, before preparaing a report for the House.
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