Copyright by the American Political Science Association

The 1995 Constitution gave the Ugandan Parliament an independent role, more powerful in principle, than any of its predecessors.1 The two Parliaments elected under this Constitution made progress in realizing this promise, but their institutional development over the past decade was uneven and limited. To judge from its high profile initiatives, the 6th Parliament, elected in 1996, emerged as a full-blown significant political actor, shaping legislation and holding the executive accountable, particularly for acts of corruption. But its actions aroused its main opponent, the executive and particularly President Yoweri Museveni who actively intervened in Parliamentary business and campaigned against many of its leading activists in the 2001 parliamentary elections, defeating some and chastening others. The 7th Parliament (2001-2006) took a lower profile and made fewer efforts to curb the executive. Those who disagreed with the President, whether in the Movement or not, were far less successful in passing legislation than their counterparts in the 6th. But a close examination of Parliament’s handling of more routine legislation, particularly in committees, suggests that new legislative practices were being institutionalized and that the 7th Parliament persuaded th