Maracha District Woman MP Driwaru Jennifer Writes a Summary After Concluding Three Days Induction Training at Parliament of Uganda.

WE HAVE TODAY COMPLETED THE  INDUCTION TRAINING.

The three days training which started on 31-May-2021 and ended today, was aimed at enlightening us the MPs of the Eleventh Parliament on the Rules and Procedures of Parliament.

Generally,  we were taught on how to move motions, debates on the floor of Parliament, Dressing Code and Behaviours in the August House (Parliament).

Below here are the pertinent concerns i noted down 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

MOTIONS AND AMENDMENTS TO MOTIONS.

A. GENERAL MOTIONS.

56. Notice of motions

Subject to the provisions of rule 48, no motion shall be moved unless the Member moving it has given written notice of the same to the Speaker and the Clerk not less than three days previous to the sitting at which it is intended to move the motion.

57. Oral notice of motions.

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of rule 56—

(a) a member may with the leave of the Speaker, give oral notice of a motion during a sitting;

(b) the motion referred to in sub rule (1)(a) shall not be placed on the Order paper until three clear days have elapsed from the day the notice is given;

(c) where the Speaker is of the opinion that it is in the public interest that the motion should be placed on the Order paper prior to the expiration of three days, the Speaker may direct that it be placed on the Order paper at such time as he or she thinks convenient.

58. Amendment of notices of motion.

The Speaker may permit a Member to move in amended form, without notice, a motion of which notice has been given, if in the opinion of the Speaker, the amendment does not materially al- ter any principle embodied in the motion of which notice has been given.

59. Motions without notice.

(1) The following motions may be moved without notice—

(a) any motion by way of amendment to a question already proposed by the Speaker;

(b) an adjournment motion for purposes of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance;

(c) any motion for the adjournment of a de- bate;

(d) any motion for the suspension of any rule of Procedure;

(e) any motion for the withdrawal or re-ad- mission of strangers;

(f) any motion for the reference of a Bill to a Committee;

(g) any motion for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House;

(h) any motion made when the House is in Committee;

(i) any motion for the approval of a report of the Committee of Supply;

(j) any motion made in accordance with the provisions of the rules governing the procedure as to Bills;

(k) any motion which in the opinion of the Speaker is a matter of emergency;

(l) any motion, notice of which has been dispensed with, in accordance with rule 57;

(m) any motion raising a question of privi- lege;

(n) any motion for closure of debate under rule 71; and

(o) any motion relating to an appeal from the President or a reference from the Committee on appointment under rule 172.

(2) A Member may move a motion without no- tice in the following manner –

“Mr /Madam Speaker/Chairperson I rise to move that the House/Committee considers the following motion without notice under (sub-rule (1)--- of this rule”...)

60. Seconding of motions.

(1) In the House, the question upon a motion

or amendment shall not be proposed by the Speaker nor shall the debate on the same commence unless the motion or amendment has been seconded.

(2) In Committee of the Whole House or before a Committee, a seconder of a motion shall not be required.

61. Amendments to motions.

(1) When any motion is under consideration in the House or in Committee of the Whole House, an amendment may be proposed to the motion if it is relevant to the motion.

(2) Any amendment may be proposed to the amendment if it is relevant to that amend- ment.

(3) Any amendment moved and permitted by the Speaker shall be put in writing by the mover and delivered to the Clerk.

(4) No amendment shall be permitted if, in the opinion of the Speaker, it substantially alters the principle of the question proposed.

RULES OF DEBATE.

70. Time and manner of speaking.

(1) A Member desiring to speak shall rise and address the Chair and shall only speak after catching the Speaker’s eye.

(2) When the Speaker rises during the proceed- ings in the House or when the Chairperson rises during the proceedings in a Commit- tee of the Whole House, every other Member shall rise.

(3) By the indulgence of the Speaker, a Mem- ber unable to conveniently stand by reason of sickness or disability, may be permitted to speak while seated.

(4) The Speaker shall be referred to as Mr./Mad- am/ Speaker.

(5) A Minister shall be referred to by his or her Ministerial title.

(6) Every other Member shall be referred to as “Honourable” together with the name of his or her constituency or the group or body rep- resented by the Member, that is, “the Hon- ourable Member for ...”

(7) Where an Honourable Member has already been referred to as described in sub rule (6) in a speech, he or she may only be further re- ferred to as “My Honourable Friend” or “The Honourable Gentleman, Lady or Member”.

(8) No Member shall speak more than once to any motion except—

(a) in Committee or before a Committee of the House; 

or

(b) in explanation, as prescribed in sub rule (9) of this rule; 

or

(c) in the case of the mover of a substantive motion wishing to reply; but any Member may second a motion or an amendment by rising in his or her place and saying “Mr /Madam/Speaker, I beg to second the motion (or amendment)” without prejudice to his or her right to speak at a later period of the debate.

(9) A Member who has spoken to a motion may again be heard, for the purpose of explain- ing some material part of his or her speech which has been misunderstood, or vindicat- ing his or her character or conduct if it has been impugned, but he or she must not in the process introduce new matter.

(10) Subject to rule 60, the mover of the motion shall be called upon to speak to his or her motion before any other Member.

(11) The Speaker may, on the commencement of the proceedings of the day or on any motion, announce the time limit he or she is to al- low each Member contributing to debate and may direct a Member to take his or her seat who has spoken for the period given.

71. Close of debate.

No Member may speak on any question after it has been put by the Speaker, that is, after the voic- es of both Ayes and Noes have been given on it.

72. Contents of speeches.

(1) The speech of a Member must have refer- ence to the subject matter under discussion.

(2) The conduct of the Speaker, Members, the Chief Justice and Judges of the Courts of Ju- dicature shall not be raised, except upon a substantive motion, and, in any amendment, question to a Member or remarks in a debate on a motion dealing with any other subject, any reference to the conduct of persons mentioned is out of order.

73. Sub-judice Rule.

(1) Subject to sub-Rule (5) of this rule, a Member shall not refer to any particular matter which is sub-judice.

(2) A matter shall be considered sub-judice if it refers to active criminal or civil proceedings and in the opinion of the Speaker, the discus- sion of such matter is likely to prejudice its fair determination.

(3) In determining whether a criminal or civil proceeding is active, the following shall apply—

(a) criminal proceedings shall be deemed to be active when a charge has been made or a summons to appear has been is- sued by court;

(b) criminal proceedings shall be deemed to have ceased to be active when they are concluded by verdict and sentence or charges have been withdrawn.;

(c) civil proceedings shall be deemed to be active when arrangements for hearing, such as setting down matters for hearing have been made, until the proceedings are ended by judgment or settlement or withdrawal;

(d) appellate proceedings whether crimi- nal or civil shall be deemed to be active from the time when they are commenced by application for leave to appeal or by notice of appeal until the proceedings are ended by judgment or withdrawn.

(4) A member alleging that a matter is sub-judice shall provide justification to show that sub rules (2) and (3) are applicable.

(5) The Speaker shall make a ruling as to wheth- er a matter is sub-judice or not before debate or investigations can continue.

74. Scope of debate.

(1) Debate upon any motion or amendment to a motion or upon any Bill, part of a Bill or amendment to a Bill, shall be relevant to the matter being debated.

(2) Where an amendment to a motion or to a Bill proposes to leave out words and insert or add other words instead of them, debate upon the question to leave out words may in- clude both the words to be left out and those proposed to be inserted or added.

(3) On an amendment proposing only to leave out words or to insert or add words, debate shall be confined to the omission, insertion or addition of words respectively.

(4) In any debate on an amendment to a motion, the Speaker may, in his or her discretion, di- rect that the debate on the amendment may include debate on the matter of the motion where, in his or her opinion, the matter of the amendment is not conveniently separable from the matter of the motion.

(5) When the Speaker gives a direction under sub rule (4), any Member who has already spoken to the motion may, in speaking to the amendment, speak only to a new matter raised by the amendment.

75. Newspapers, periodicals not to be read in the House.

Subject to these Rules, and except with the leave of the Speaker, Members shall not read newspapers or periodicals or books in the House.

76. Reading of speeches by Members.

(1) A Member shall not read his or her speech, but may read extracts from written or printed documents in support of his or her argument and may refresh his or her memory by reference to notes.

(2) The Speaker may, in exceptional circum- stances, permit a Member to read his or her speech.

77. Speaker not to participate in debate.

The Speaker shall not take part in any debate before the House, but may give guidance to the House on any matter before it.

78. Interruptions of debate.

(1) Debates may be interrupted—

(a) by a matter of privilege suddenly arising;

(b) by a point of order being raised;

(c) upon a point of information or elucida- tion or clarification;

(d) upon a point of procedure.

(2) Where a Member rises on a point of proce- dure or order the Member holding the floor shall immediately resume his or her seat.

(3) Where a point of procedure or point of order has been raised under sub rule (2), except by leave of the Speaker, no other Member shall rise until the Speaker has decided upon the matter.

(4) Where a Member interrupts debate on a point of procedure the Member shall state the rule of procedure he or she deems to have been breached by the Member holding the floor or the procedural matter he or she wishes ruled upon before subjecting the Member to the Speaker’s ruling.

(5) A Member may rise on a point of informa- tion or elucidation or clarification based on a matter raised by a Member holding the floor but may only proceed with the point if the Member holding the floor is willing to give way and resume his or her seat.

(6) Where effect has been given to the decision on the point of procedure or order, the Member who was speaking is entitled to proceed with his or her speech unless the decision prevents him or her from doing so.

(7) When giving leave to interrupt debate the Speaker shall follow the following precedence—

(a) points of privilege;

(b) points of procedure;

(c) points of order;

(d) points of information, elucidation or clarification.

(8) A member who stands up to interrupt debate on a point of privilege, procedure, order, information or clarification shall not depart from it.

BEHAVIOUR OF MEMBERS DURING DEBATE.

82. Dress Code

A Member shall dress in a dignified manner that is to say—

(a) a suit, a pair of long trousers, jacket, shirt and tie; a kanzu and jacket or a Safari Suit, for male Members;

(b) a suit, a jacket, blouse and skirt or dress for lady Members;

(c) decent traditional wear;

(d) military attire for Members of the Armed Forces;

(e) a Member shall put on dignified shoes, save that a Member may, with the prior leave of the Speaker, put on foot wear which may not necessarily be described as shoes.

83. Behaviour of Members in the House.

(1) During a sitting—

(a) a Member shall enter or leave the House with decorum;

(b) a Member shall not cross the Floor of the House or move around unnecessarily;

(c) while a Member is speaking, all other Members shall be silent and shall not make unseemly interruptions;

(d) when a Member has finished his or her observation he or she shall resume his or her seat;

(e) a maiden speech shall not be interrupted except by the Speaker or in circumstanc- es which in the opinion of the Speaker warrant interruption;

(f) a Member shall not without the consent of the Speaker, bring into the House any- thing other than papers, books or other documents which are directly connected with the business of the House;

(g) a Member shall not bring into the House any camera, arms or weapon, tape re- corder, transistor radio; and

(h) a Member shall not clap in the House.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (g), a Member may bring in a device that cannot disrupt the proceedings of the House and that also passes the security test of Parliament.

84. Use of unparliamentary language.

It is out of order to use offensive, abusive, insult- ing, blasphemous or unbecoming words.

pute improper motives to any Member or to make personal allusions.

85. General behaviour.

In all other matters, the behaviour of Members shall be guided by the Code of Conduct of Mem- bers prescribed in Appendix F.

I do all these, For God and My Country.

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