Kampala — Members of Parliament from the ruling NRM party want President Museveni to convene an urgent meeting to debate his controversial solutions to ethnic tensions in Bunyoro.

In a letter through the NRM Chief Whip, Daudi Migereko, the MPs want the debate shifted to the party's parliamentary caucus in a move that will raise the stakes over a matter that has attracted general opposition from especially the immigrant leaders.

The development came on the same day the Police issued summons to Monitor Newspaper Managing Editor Daniel Kalinaki to report to Jinja Road Police Station this morning over the publication of Mr Museveni's July 15 letter to the Minister for the Presidency, Ms Beatrice Wabudeya.

Mr Moses Sakira, the Police Criminal Investigations deputy director in charge of investigations, issued the summons yesterday. But Daily Monitor Associate Editor Fredrick Masiga said the newspaper was surprised by the police summons.

"This is a story of public interest. It's a matter we have published because the issues raised by the President's proposals can substantially affect the destinies of millions of Ugandans. We believe these issues should be extensively discussed and we are happy to provide that forum," Mr Masiga said, adding: "No amount of intimidation will stop us from providing this channel of debate."

In their letter to the President yesterday, MPs Wilfred Niwagaba (Ndorwa East), Henry Banyenzaki (Rubanda West), Dr Chris Baryomunsi (Kinkizi East) and Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga County) posed a series of questions challenging Mr Museveni's proposals, saying it was necessary for lawmakers to add their voices to "the apparent tribal talk" Mr Museveni's letter had generated.

The MPs want the NRM Caucus to discuss the matter and "to come up with a position to guide the country." They also picked issue with Mr Museveni's reference of migrant tribes in Bunyoro as Bafuruki.

"We consider it derogatory to refer to the Uganda citizens who have settled in other parts of the country as 'Bafuruki'," wrote the MPs, three of whom are native Bakiga whose kith and kin form the largest number of migrant communities in Bunyoro.

"There is no indigenous community in Uganda known as Bafuruki and it would be important that we categorise these 'Bafuruki' into their proper indigenous tribal description," the MPs wrote.

In writing, the MPs said they felt "duty bound" to comment on Mr Museveni's proposals "in view of the political implications" before they questioned what could have inspired his decision to propose the controversial solutions to Bunyoro's land and political problems.

Of Mr Museveni's nine proposals to Ms Wabudeya, the lawmakers seem to agree with only one- granting ownership of land to native Banyoro who were on the mailoland in 1964 and compensating absentee landlords.

The MPs also say they were concerned that Mr Museveni's letter has driven a wedge between officials in the ruling party's top ranks.

They also described as "strange", Mr Museveni's proposal to ring fence the political positions of Member of Parliament, LC5 and LC3 chairperson for only native Banyoro, questioning how the proposal would redress allegations of political domination by the Bafuruki over native Banyoro.

"Are the indigenous people denied their right to vote? Is the electoral process so fundamentally flawed that it marginalises the indigenous groups?" asked the MPs as they provided questions to guide debate on the matter.

Mr Migereko last night said he had not received the letter, but suggested it was foolhardy for the MPs to write since the Caucus would be meeting next week.

"We are having a Caucus meeting on Monday," he said by telephone. "I know we shall be discussing important matters." The NRM Caucus meets every first Monday of the month.

Although Mr Museveni has since defended his letter saying the matter was meant for internal discussion, the country's political landscape has taken on a tribal hue since details were first published by this newspaper.

Leaders of the migrant populations in Bunyoro resolved this week to ask Mr Museveni to withdraw his letter as the President moved quickly to defuse rising tensions in the region by inviting the leaders for crunch talks. The leaders are scheduled to meet Mr Museveni at his residence today.