IPOD backs government’s move on proposed electoral reforms
Dialogue. (Left to right), Democratic Party (DP) president Norbert Mao, the former DP president, Dr Paul K Ssemogerere, and the NRM deputy national treasurer, Dr Kenneth Omona, chat during the Ipod symposium in Kampala on Tuesday. PHOTO BY ALEX ESAGALA
What you need to know:
- Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president Patrick Oboi Amuriat said: “We are being hoodwinked because the issues we want to be addressed have not been touched. The time is also up and that means this has been a deliberate move by government to bring the reforms late so as to stifle the implementation.”
The Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (Ipod) has agreed with government on seven of the 10 tabled proposals on electoral reforms.
The Ipod symposium held at Mestil Hotel in Kampala on Tuesday discussed reforms proposed to Parliament by the Attorney General.
These were segmented into three amendment Bills including, Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill 2019, Parliamentary Elections Amendment Bill 2019, and the Electoral Commission Amendment Bill 2019.
Ipod council chairperson Gerald Siranda yesterday said most of the reforms were agreeable save for a few technical changes which needed more clarification as they push to beat the deadline to the implementation in the next eight months.
“We are already behind time but we can achieve our target that is why we have intensified the review of these reforms,” Mr Siranda said.
In the Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill 2019, Ipod disagreed with government on the Section 24, which stipulates the punishment given to state media houses and officials that contravene the law on giving presidential candidates equal treatment on the State-owned media. The penalty being: “the media house is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding five hundred currency points.”
In response, Ipod said: “The offence is criminal and therefore a media house cannot be found guilty of such an offence. The punishment should be increased to officer on State-owned media house from 24 to 100 currency points.”
Ipod also disagreed with government on Section 57, which is about the declaration of results of presidential elections, which is intended to be amended to provide for the declaration to be done at constituency level.
In the Electoral Commission Amendment Bill 2019, Ipod disagreed with government on the proposed amendment to establish an electoral reform committee.
Ipod said: “The chairperson of the committee should be from the Law Reform Commission and more representation from the five parliamentary political parties with each one represented by at least a member on the committee nominated by the party.”
Multiple political party leaders indicated that the reforms that were tabled do not holistically represent the current loopholes within the electoral process and cannot address the impending problems.
Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president Patrick Oboi Amuriat said: “We are being hoodwinked because the issues we want to be addressed have not been touched. The time is also up and that means this has been a deliberate move by government to bring the reforms late so as to stifle the implementation.”
The NRM party deputy national treasurer, Dr Kenneth Omona, backed government for bringing the reforms late, saying the most important thing is that they have been finally tabled.
Imminent demands
Focus. Political party leaders suggested that reforms should resonate around reinstating the presidential term limits and age limit as well as repealing the process of appointing the chairperson of the EC through the Judicial Service Commission.
