Uganda passes tough new law against public protest

Uganda's parliament today passed a contentious bill that critics say will make it impossible to stage street protests against the country's long-serving president, following months of confrontation between the authorities and activists who had mounted a campaign to have the legislation jettisoned.
The "Public Order Management Bill" was passed five days after opposition lawmakers staged a fierce attempt to filibuster its passage amid concerns it gives Ugandan police dictatorial powers to decide who can stage a public event of a political nature.
Uganda's parliament is dominated by the ruling party, and on Thursday an opposition lawmaker in an apparent bid to delay voting on the bill tore up a roster of lawmakers to vote on the bill as the speaker looked on.

Amnesty International said yesterday that the legislation "represents a serious blow to open political debate" in a country that is seeing more and more protests against President Yoweri Museveni, who has held power for nearly three decades.
"The bill imposes wide ranging restrictions on public meetings and gives the police unprecedented powers to prohibit and disperse public gatherings of a political nature," the rights watchdog said in a statement.
The law gives the police powers to control public meetings, including the use of force to break up gatherings held without prior authorisation.

Even meetings of a political nature held between three people must be authorised by the police, according to the law.

Activists who had tried to challenge the legislation in court note that the country's constitution guarantees the right to hold peaceful gatherings.
The bill was passed amid a crackdown against street protesters in the capital, Kampala, where the security forces routinely use tear gas and live ammunition to disperse opposition supporters.
Last month police restricted the movements of the mayor of Kampala, an opposition politician who is a fierce critic of the president, as well as Kizza Besigye, a three-time presidential candidate.
Uganda has been the scene since 2011 of a protest movement against corruption and the high cost of living. But most of the planned rallies have been actively blocked by the police under what they call the "preventive arrest" of protest leaders.

The rights group Human Rights Watch says Uganda's security forces killed at least nine people in confrontations with protesters in April 2011.