KAMPALA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed into law the controversial constitutional amendment bill that removes the presidential age limit of 75 years, an official said here on Tuesday.
Senior Presidential Press Secretary Don Wanyama told Xinhua that Museveni on Dec. 27 signed into law the constitutional amendment bill 2 of 2017 to scrap the presidential age limit of 75 years, which now allows the incumbent president to run in the 2021 elections.
On Dec. 20, a total of 317 lawmakers mainly from Museveni's ruling party, National Resistance Movement (NRM), voted for the amendment of Article 102 (b) to scrap the presidential age limit of 75 years.
"The president has assented onto the bill and forwarded it back to parliament. It's now law. The law no longer stops him from contesting for the office of president. It's the decision of the party to front the elections," said Wanyama.
Museveni while delivering his New Year message on Sunday hailed the 317 lawmakers for defying intimidation, malignment and blackmail to amend for a flexible Constitution to deal with destiny issues of Africa.
At least 62 legislators, mainly opposition, voted against the bill that removed a cap that barred any Ugandan citizen below the age of 35 or older than 75 years to hold office of the president in the East African country.
Opposition and campaigners who are opposed to the bill argue that the move by the ruling NRM was intended to allow Museveni, now 73, to run in the 2021 elections when he will be over 75.
