EU donates sh38b
Jul 08, 2007
THE European Union has provided sh17m Euros (about sh38b) to support multiparty politics, human rights and good governance.
By Milton Olupot
THE European Union has provided sh17m Euros (about sh38b) to support multiparty politics, human rights and good governance.
Speaking yesterday at a meeting chaired by Edward Ssekandi, the Speaker of Parliament, Vincent de Visscher, the EU head of delegation, said the money was donated under the 9th European Development Fund for Human Rights and Good Governance programme launched last week.
The meeting was in preparation for a workshop, which Visscher said would guide participants on how 10m Euros (about sh22.3m) provided in the next development fund would be allocated.
He said the money would support Parliament, enhance its capacity and constitutional role, build a system of checks and balances, support political parties and develop the media.
Visscher observed that although the EU election monitoring report on the 2006 elections showed that the elections were transparent and relatively peaceful, the electoral process fell short of full compliance with international principles for genuine democratic elections.
Ssekandi said Parliament wants increased cross-political party cooperation in parliamentary democracy.
Badru Kiggundu, the Electoral Commission (EC) chairman, wants the law amended to exempt the EC from liability when unqualified candidates are nominated after they are scrutinised by the National Council for Higher Education.
The commission also wants election offenders barred from contesting in elections for five years in addition to imprisonment or paying a fine.
Kiggundu said the law should be amended to increase the period for submission of reports by returning officers to one week after polling and that the law should provide for security of tenure of the EC.
Rev. Grace Kaiso, the executive secretary of the Uganda Joint Christian Council, was concerned that the EC chairman and commissioners are appointed by the President, which he said makes it difficult for the commission to be independent.
He proposed that opposition parties be given the right to propose three names to the commission to be approved by Parliament. Kaiso also called for the enactment of a law barring foreign diplomats from campaigning for candidates.
THE European Union has provided sh17m Euros (about sh38b) to support multiparty politics, human rights and good governance.
Speaking yesterday at a meeting chaired by Edward Ssekandi, the Speaker of Parliament, Vincent de Visscher, the EU head of delegation, said the money was donated under the 9th European Development Fund for Human Rights and Good Governance programme launched last week.
The meeting was in preparation for a workshop, which Visscher said would guide participants on how 10m Euros (about sh22.3m) provided in the next development fund would be allocated.
He said the money would support Parliament, enhance its capacity and constitutional role, build a system of checks and balances, support political parties and develop the media.
Visscher observed that although the EU election monitoring report on the 2006 elections showed that the elections were transparent and relatively peaceful, the electoral process fell short of full compliance with international principles for genuine democratic elections.
Ssekandi said Parliament wants increased cross-political party cooperation in parliamentary democracy.
Badru Kiggundu, the Electoral Commission (EC) chairman, wants the law amended to exempt the EC from liability when unqualified candidates are nominated after they are scrutinised by the National Council for Higher Education.
The commission also wants election offenders barred from contesting in elections for five years in addition to imprisonment or paying a fine.
Kiggundu said the law should be amended to increase the period for submission of reports by returning officers to one week after polling and that the law should provide for security of tenure of the EC.
Rev. Grace Kaiso, the executive secretary of the Uganda Joint Christian Council, was concerned that the EC chairman and commissioners are appointed by the President, which he said makes it difficult for the commission to be independent.
He proposed that opposition parties be given the right to propose three names to the commission to be approved by Parliament. Kaiso also called for the enactment of a law barring foreign diplomats from campaigning for candidates.