KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) – A fistfight broke out in Uganda’s parliament Tuesday amid efforts to introduce legislation that could extend the president’s decades-long hold on power.
After opposition lawmakers accused a colleague on the government side of carrying a gun, a brawl broke out in which lawmakers pushed and punched each other before the speaker ordered body searches.
A motion was due to be introduced Tuesday that seeks to remove a constitutional provision that prevents anyone over the age of 75 from running for president, but opposition lawmakers filibustered proceedings by repeatedly singing the national anthem. In the chaotic scenes, the parliamentary speaker adjourned the session until Wednesday.
The move to jettison the age limit is seen as an effort by President Yoweri Museveni, who at 73 is ineligible to run for re-election in 2021, to extend his rule. Museveni himself has ducked the question of whether he is interested in more time in office, saying recently that the matter is not so important.
But critics say behind the scenes he is orchestrating the move by lawmakers to remove the last hurdle to extend his presidency, possibly to rule for life.