The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM)Central Executive Committee (CEC) of party has approved a private member's bill seeking to remove the cap on the presidential age from the Constitution.
The meeting called and chaired by President Yoweri Museveni, at State House in Entebbe last evening, was mainly discussing the Constitutional Amendment tabled before parliament by the Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi.
In a statement issued by the Acting Secretary General of NRM, Richard Todwong hours later, CEC resolved to support the bill which is now before the legal committee of Parliament.
"CEC resolved to popularize this decision to all the structures and membership of the NRM, and the entire country, guiding and mobilizing them accordingly." reads part of the statement.
He added that; "In the spirit and culture of democracy that the NRM fought for and believes in, we call upon the population to be respectful and tolerant of all the diverse views that may be peacefully and lawfully expressed during the process."
However, the resolution met a lot of resistance from within the committee.
Some of these members in disagreement include Simon Peter Aleper and Godfrey Nyakaana, the Karamoja and Central NRM Vice-Chairpersons respectively. Other members who have openly criticized the proposed amendment are Gaddafi Nasur, the NRM Youth League Chairperson and Western Region's Maj. Gen. Matayo Kyaligonza. CEC is comprised of 29 members.
The CEC members, according to a source raised the issue with the parliamentary caucus overshadowing the party organ when it came out to endorse the bill. However, sources say that an explanation was given that the bill is a private member's bill and it first came up during a caucus meeting.
Once endorsed by parliament, the bill will allow the incumbent president, Yoweri Museveni to seek reelection when his term of office ends in 2021. He is now aged 73, and would not be eligible for another term of office.
