Tap the 2.5 billion people population- Museveni tells Commonwealth MPs

By; Francis Lubega

26^th September 2019

President Yoweri Museveni has tasked Commonwealth countries to use their numbers to promote investments, work together on security and cultural exchanges.

While officiating at the opening ceremony of the 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) at Speke Resort, Munyonyo Museveni, the Vice Patron of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) said that the Commonwealth Countries could use their numbers of 2.5 billion people to mutually promote investment and achieve a lot more without disturbing the Continental Free Trade Area- CFTA arrangements in Africa.

The conference attended by delegates from different countries including Canada, Australia, United Kingdom (UK), Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, India and others is under the theme “Adaption, Engagement and Evolution of Parliaments in a rapidly changing Commonwealth.”

He also said that the Commonwealth countries can peacefully work with all countries of the world irrespective of their internal social-systems for mutual advantage and on the basis of respecting the sovereignty of each country.

He emphasized the need not to create crises in attempts to coerce people that have different ideas to be like countries in the Commonwealth.

Museveni further tasked delegates to promote the spread of the benefits of scientific innovation saying that in all ages, the advances in science and technology have always been the primers of change in society for good or for evil but that this time, insisting that those advances are only for good and never for evil.

Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga who doubles as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) president-designate said that a lot was changing in Commonwealth nations, from the demographic characteristics to the diversities of race, belief and people’s needs.

She said that there is a growing focus on greater scrutiny of Parliamentarians, coupled with a demand for accountability and transparency and that the public trust in Parliaments is flagging in most countries, yet the people increasingly expect more from their representatives.