Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has
told parliamentarians that the reintroduction of a recently
invalidated anti-gay law is not a priority.
Two weeks ago, Uganda's Constitutional
Court struck down the law, saying that it was approved during a
parliamentary session that lacked a quorum.
Parliamentarian Latif Ssebaggala is
leading an effort to revive the measure, which calls for life
imprisonment for the crime of “aggravated homosexuality” and bans
the “promotion of homosexuality.”
According to the AP, Museveni, who
signed the legislation in February, urged parliamentarian “not to
cause chaos” by moving too quickly.
He reportedly warned lawmakers that the
measure could hurt the nation's economy. Museveni made his comments
shortly after returning from a visit to the White House, where he
attended a summit of African leaders hosted by President Barack
Obama.
Supporters of the law have accused the
government of caving in to the demands of Western nations, several of
which cut off aid to the east African nation after the law's passage.
A colonial-era law criminalizing gay
sex remains on the books.