Uganda: MPs want vote to restore anti-gay law ‘within three days’
A group of Ugandan MPs are attempting to force an urgent vote to restore the country’s anti-gay law this week.
Last week, the country’s Constitutional Court struck down the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, finding that the speaker of Parliament acted illegally by moving ahead with a vote on the law despite at least three lawmakers objecting to a lack of quorum.
According to Buzzfeed, a group of MPs today launched a petition calling for a vote on the bill, and have so far collected around 100 signatures from lawmakers.
Lawmaker Latif Sebagala, who is leading the campaign, said that he believed a majority of parliament would have signed the petition by Friday.
A speedy vote could be difficult to achieve, as following the court ruling lawmakers should have to start the bill from scratch in order to pass it.
However, notorious MP David Bahati said the rules could be flouted in an emergency.
He said: “Any bill will pass through the procedure, and by the rules of procedure we will follow them and we will pass it.
“We can suspend any of the rules if we think it is important.
“Whether it’s tomorrow or a week or a month, we will take whatever time is required to make sure that the future of our children is protected, the family is protected, and the sovereignty nation of the protected.
“The issues of technicalities is not a big deal to anybody. But the big deal … is that homosexuality is not a human right here in Uganda.”
Campaigner Edwin Sesange of the Out & Proud Diamond Group told PinkNews.co.uk: “It is very very shocking for these MPs to go this far just in the name of hate for fellow Ugandans because of their sexuality.
“We will continue to challenge this intended anti gay law by these MPs and other anti-gay laws in Uganda through legal and peaceful means. The struggle continues.”
