Gov't faulted on LC elections postponement

The Citizens' Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) has faulted the Government on the postponement of the elections for local council 1 and 2, saying the elections have not been given attention and priority by the Government.

Early this week, the Government announced the postponement of these elections until 2018. This is not the first time that the elections are being postponed.

Crispin Kaheru, the CCEDU coordinator, however, said latest postponement could be easily interpreted as a mere shopping for excuses to explain the continued presence of undemocratically filled structures at village and parish levels in Uganda.

"We strongly view every reason given by the Government for not being able to hold the local council elections as laughable and unconstitutional by all interpretations," he told New Vision.

CCEDU argues that the Government has had ample opportunity to plan for the local council elections since 2002.

Kaheru further said lack of Government's commitment to conduct these elections in the most democratic ways can further be seen through the adoption of an archaic law of voting by way of lining-up proposed by government instead of voting by secret ballot.

He revealed that CCEDU will petition court to ensure that the illegalities being perpetrated by not conducting these elections do not stand any longer.

"We are proceeding to petition Court to ensure that the law of voting in the LC 1 and 2 elections is amended to provide for secret ballot - as well as ensure that the elections are held immediately," reads part of the document seen by New Vision.

The elections were supposed to have taken place on January 17, 2017, but were later postponed. The electoral commission spokesperson Jotham Taremwa told media that body was waiting for the election amendments to be passed by Parliament and assented by the President.

"You cannot talk of a time frame when you don't have an enabling legal provision. Let's be patient and wait for the new amendments to be passed," he stated.

On January 5, 2017, the electoral commission officials appeared before parliamentary committee on local government, that was scrutinizing the Local Governments (Amendment) Bill, Electoral and officials expressed fear that about 500 villages in the newly created districts, are not catered for in the proposed sh15.9b budget for the elections.