The Ugandan government announced on Friday that it has withdrawn the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2005 from the parliament and will instead present two separate bills next Tuesday.

Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Kiddu Makubuya was quoted by Radio Uganda that he has accordingly written to the Speaker of Parliament seeking to table a motion to that effect.

He said the decision to withdraw the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2005 was arrived at after wide consultations with leaders in the government and the political parties and organizations and in the interest of cohesion and consensus.

Makubuya explained that the first bill will seek the introduction of a regional tier into the country's system of governance, saying that this can only come into law with support of two thirds of all members of parliament and ratification by at least two thirds of members of district councils in each of at least two thirds of all districts in the country.

He said the second bill which deals with the proposed lifting of the presidential term limit requires support from only two thirds of all members of parliament.

Makubuya also said the government has decided that all Ugandans handle the system of governance through a referendum which will be held on June 30, this year.

He said he would table a motion to that effect before the parliament.

According to Uganda's 1995 Constitution, a president is supposed to rule for a maximum of two terms. President Yoweri Museveni's second constitutional term will expire in 2006 and there have been some proposals to amend the constitution so that the presidential term limit is lifted.

Source: Xinhua