EC needs sh99b for LC polls
Apr 19, 2011
THE Electoral Commission needs sh99b for local council (LC) 1, 2 and 4 elections. For the last 10 years, there The Electoral Commission needs sh99b for local council (LC) 1, 2 and 4 elections.<br><br>For the last 10 years, there have been no elections for lower, administrative units.have been no e
By Joyce Namutebi
THE Electoral Commission needs sh99b for local council (LC) 1, 2 and 4 elections.
For the last 10 years, there have been no elections for lower, administrative units.
The EC Secretary, Sam Rwakoojo, said their medium term expenditure ceiling of sh20b will finance the elections up to the display of the voters register.
“The whole exercise requires sh99b, so as it is underfunded by sh79b,†Rwakoojo told the legal and parliamentary affairs committee recently.
He was part of the team led by EC chairman Dr. Badru Kiggundu before the committee to discuss the commission’s budget for 2011/2012.
The elections for village, parish and county councils shall be held under the multi-party universal adult suffrage system.
“This system, although more elaborate, is more costly than the old system of lining up behind candidates,†Rwakoojo said.
He asked for a pay rise for the staff of the commission, saying their salaries have never been revised since 1999 despite the rising inflation.
“The commission requires a substantial pay rise to make their salaries comparable to other Electoral Commissions in the region.â€
He warned that the commission will have a wage bill deficit of Sh118m due to increase in the number of staff from 534 in 2009/2010 to 738 in 2010/2011 as a result of increase in the number of district offices from 85 to 112.
Kiggundu told the committee chaired by Stephen Tashobya that funding for the elections for the lower organs was a must and appealed to Parliament to help find the money. ‘We need to do it (elections) soonest before the term becomes too short.â€
On the just concluded elections, he revealed that 110 petitions have been filed. He also said that the commission lost 23 petitions out of the 73 filed in the previous election and won 50.
THE Electoral Commission needs sh99b for local council (LC) 1, 2 and 4 elections.
For the last 10 years, there have been no elections for lower, administrative units.
The EC Secretary, Sam Rwakoojo, said their medium term expenditure ceiling of sh20b will finance the elections up to the display of the voters register.
“The whole exercise requires sh99b, so as it is underfunded by sh79b,†Rwakoojo told the legal and parliamentary affairs committee recently.
He was part of the team led by EC chairman Dr. Badru Kiggundu before the committee to discuss the commission’s budget for 2011/2012.
The elections for village, parish and county councils shall be held under the multi-party universal adult suffrage system.
“This system, although more elaborate, is more costly than the old system of lining up behind candidates,†Rwakoojo said.
He asked for a pay rise for the staff of the commission, saying their salaries have never been revised since 1999 despite the rising inflation.
“The commission requires a substantial pay rise to make their salaries comparable to other Electoral Commissions in the region.â€
He warned that the commission will have a wage bill deficit of Sh118m due to increase in the number of staff from 534 in 2009/2010 to 738 in 2010/2011 as a result of increase in the number of district offices from 85 to 112.
Kiggundu told the committee chaired by Stephen Tashobya that funding for the elections for the lower organs was a must and appealed to Parliament to help find the money. ‘We need to do it (elections) soonest before the term becomes too short.â€
On the just concluded elections, he revealed that 110 petitions have been filed. He also said that the commission lost 23 petitions out of the 73 filed in the previous election and won 50.