Lawmakers controversially passed a crucial Bill in a record seven minutes on the last sitting day of Parliament in 2009, opening the way for political parties to be funded by taxpayers.

The NRM will be the biggest beneficiary of the new law that directs the State to fund political parties basing on their numerical strength in Parliament. The NRM holds 214 of the 333 seats in the current Eighth Parliament.

But what is raising brows is the manner in which the Bill was passed; a day when attendance in the House was dismal and several MPs had closed shop.

Unlike other Bills, it was not subjected to rigorous scrutiny, pushed down the pecking order of importance on the floor and sailed through without a single amendment.

Genesis

Tabled for the first time on April 2, 2009, the Political Parties and Organisation (Amendment) Bill 2008 was committed to the legal and parliamentary affairs committee. Detailing proposals on use of public resources to fund political parties, the Bill immediately generated interest.

The committee conducted public hearings for a couple of weeks and collected opinions from at least 12 registered political parties before finally presenting a report to the House on April 16.

MPs debated the Bill for at least three hours that day, the official record of Parliament's proceedings shows, but failed to reach a compromise on what formula should be used in calculating funds for each registered political party.

Whereas the NRM party backed the position on funding based on parliamentary numerical strength, the opposition was of the view that support should tally with votes garnered in the presidential election.

Pattern of controversy

According to the Hansard, Parliament's official record book, the two-page Bill quickly drew a wedge in the House especially as both sides refused to budge on their positions.

Deputy Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, who was in chair that day, deferred debate on the Bill to a week later, to allow both sides reach a comprise.

"I would like to give the minister and the chairperson an opportunity to reflect," she said as she pushed debate to April 21.

But as it turns out, that was the last time any debate was registered on the controversial Bill.

On April 21, Ms Kadaga, adjourned debate for another week closing business at 7:23pm, thanks in part to two hotly-debated subjects on the floor; the standoff between Parliament and former IGG Faith Mwondha, and a motion on sexual harassment by MP Alice Alaso.

When the House resumed for debate on April 29, Attorney General Khiddu Makubuya requested for "more time" to harmonise positions with the opposition.

Prof. Makubuya reported that he had received a letter from Prof. Morris Ogenga Latigo, the Leader of the Opposition, detailing their proposed amendments.

"I need to consult vertically and horizontally. It will take me about two weeks," he said. Ms Kadaga granted the government's wish, in what eventually sealed the Bill's fate.

On December 22, seven months later, the Bill found space for mention on the floor and was summarily passed without much ado in a record seven minutes. Not a single amendment was registered.

Although Legal Affairs Committee chairman Steven Tashobya had raised a couple of reservations on the Bill in his report, it appears the team abandoned the amendments all together.

For instance the committee had objected in its report to the idea that there are no other viable means of supporting political parties other than state funding, and moved to propose the sourcing of funds from institutions outside government. That proposal never saw the light of day.

The committee had also observed that the Bill does not specifically spell out which elections shall be financed by the government on equal basis as had been proposed in the new law. Mr Tashobya when contacted to comment on Wednesday admitted that the Bill had been passed "quickly."