Ugandans in renewed debate on electoral reforms
Kampala, Uganda (PANA) – The Parliament of Uganda will be presented with the government’s proposed amendments to the electoral law before the end of May, the Attorney General has told Parliament.
Proposals for electoral reform have dominated the wish lists of the political opposition and other change-seeking entities in the country for over a decade but the government has often brushed them aside.
Even now, however, the opposition shadow attorney general in Parliament, Mr Alfred Niwagaba, has described the government’s proposals as “tokenism and meant to hoodwink Ugandans”.
Attorney General William Byaruhanga has told Parliament that the government will table proposals for amending the Presidential Elections Act, the Parliamentary Elections Act, the Local Government’s Elections Act and the Electoral Commission Act.
Elections in Uganda have been a hotly contested affair, especially since 2001, with President Yoweri Museveni accused of manipulating the system to remain in power.
His re-election was contested in the courts in 2001, 2006 and 2016, and when the Dr Kizza Besigye, the main opposition challenger, did not go to court at the end of the 2011 elections, he led what came to be known as "Walk to Work" protests that paralysed Kampala and threatened Museveni’s hold on power.
After each election round, especially since 2006, the government would commit to carrying out electoral reforms but would not table reform proposals until just a few months to another election, and even then those proposals would be especially about basic issues regarding the elections and not address what the opposition and other players consider to be the most important aspects.
The opposition and other players want reforms to define the role of the army and police in the electoral process, saying that it is through the militarization of elections that Mr Museveni has rigged the previous polls. They also want reforms regarding election financing, accusing the incumbent of using public money to get re-elected.
Some of the other proposed reforms relate to equitable access to state-run media by all political players and role of public officers in campaigns, among others.
-0- PANA EM/MA 15May2019
