EC warns of poll crisis
Feb 22, 2005
Electoral Commission chairman Dr. Badru Kiggundu has warned of an imminent election crisis if Parliament delays to pass the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
By Milton Olupot
Electoral Commission chairman Dr. Badru Kiggundu has warned of an imminent election crisis if Parliament delays to pass the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Kiggundu on Friday said delaying the Bill would affect the referendum, presidential and parliamentary elections.
A Bill seeking to amend the 1995 Constitution to restore multiparty politics and lift the presidential term limits was presented to Parliament last week by the Attorney General, Dr Khiddu Makubuya.
Speaker Edward Ssekandi referred it to the legal and parliamentary affairs committee for scrutiny before it was debated by the plenary later this year.
Kiggundu said the Electoral Commission had planned to hold the referendum on the Constitutional Amendment Bill by July 2005.
He said the Constitution provides that the referendum on the change of political systems is held in the fourth year of Parliament.
Kiggundu was reacting to MP Jacob Oulanyah’s report that Parliament would complete consideration of the Constitutional Amendment Bill by June.
If the amendments to the Constitution are completed in June, then the referendum would spill over into the fifth year of Parliament.
“If the Constitutional amendment Bill is not ready by June, then we shall not be able to beat the deadline.There are national elections that we have to plan for and this will affect the planning. This will squeeze the elections together since the presidential elections have a stipulated time,†he said.
President Yoweri Museveni assented to the Bill providing for a referendum to approve the anticipated constitutional changes, while the Constitutional Amendment Bill was presented to Parliament.
Kiggundu said the commission needs over two months to carry out education and sensitisation of the voters, after the Bill is passed. The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution to change from Movement to multiparty democracy under which the 2006 general elections will be held.
Electoral Commission chairman Dr. Badru Kiggundu has warned of an imminent election crisis if Parliament delays to pass the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Kiggundu on Friday said delaying the Bill would affect the referendum, presidential and parliamentary elections.
A Bill seeking to amend the 1995 Constitution to restore multiparty politics and lift the presidential term limits was presented to Parliament last week by the Attorney General, Dr Khiddu Makubuya.
Speaker Edward Ssekandi referred it to the legal and parliamentary affairs committee for scrutiny before it was debated by the plenary later this year.
Kiggundu said the Electoral Commission had planned to hold the referendum on the Constitutional Amendment Bill by July 2005.
He said the Constitution provides that the referendum on the change of political systems is held in the fourth year of Parliament.
Kiggundu was reacting to MP Jacob Oulanyah’s report that Parliament would complete consideration of the Constitutional Amendment Bill by June.
If the amendments to the Constitution are completed in June, then the referendum would spill over into the fifth year of Parliament.
“If the Constitutional amendment Bill is not ready by June, then we shall not be able to beat the deadline.There are national elections that we have to plan for and this will affect the planning. This will squeeze the elections together since the presidential elections have a stipulated time,†he said.
President Yoweri Museveni assented to the Bill providing for a referendum to approve the anticipated constitutional changes, while the Constitutional Amendment Bill was presented to Parliament.
Kiggundu said the commission needs over two months to carry out education and sensitisation of the voters, after the Bill is passed. The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution to change from Movement to multiparty democracy under which the 2006 general elections will be held.