Uganda MPs vote to remove president's age limit set at 75

MPs from Uganda’s ruling NRM party have agreed to table a private member’s bill in parliament, proposing the removal of the presidential age limit.If successful the bill would make President Yoweri Museveni, who is believed to be 73 years old, eligible to stand again in the next election in 2021.

President Museveni, the main beneficiary if the amendment is successful, dismissed the talk about two months ago saying he was concentrating on his programmes and age limit was not an urgent matter.

Yet members of his party and State House staff have been engaged in low-key, but intense mobilisation for the amendment.The current Constitution provides, among other requirements, that only persons aged 35-75 years are eligible to stand and be voted as president.Former President of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change, Dr. Kizza Besigye said he is not surprised by the decision of a section of NRM MPs to back the move for a private members bill to amend the constitution and remove the Presidential Age limit.Opposition MPs say they will challenge the motion.

If successful, this will be the second major change to Uganda’s 20-year-old Constitution to directly favour President Museveni’s continued stay in power.

In 2005, an amendment was passed to remove term limits at a time when President Museveni’s tenure had ended after two elective terms.