Political parties protest extension of LC elections

A  section of political party heads and leaders have protested the government’s decision to reallocate funds meant for conducting the local council 1 and 2 elections .

On Wednesday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mr Ramathan Ggoobi, told the Monitor that the funds were re-allocated based on the government priorities.

This was later confirmed by the Minister of Local Government, Mr Raphael Magyezi, when he announced the extension of term of office of administrative unit councils for another 180 days starting tomorrow, citing failure to release Shs59b meant for the exercise.

In a telephone interview with the Daily Monitor yesterday, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Najjanankumbi president, Mr Patrick Oboi Amuriat, said the move was a clear indication that the government had failed on its mandate of promoting democracy.

“I think that the government is avoiding what it created in sense that it has created a lot of villages and it has now failed to actualise the elections and I think if they don’t consider democracy or leadership a priority, then they should tell the country,” he said.

Mr Amuriat advised the government to find funds within its ministries.

The Democratic Party president, Mr Nobert Mao, said expressed disappointment, saying they had already mobilised party members to gear up for the elections.

“We have been preparing for those elections and we are disappointed but we are dealing with that reality. We are disappointed because the candidates we had mobilised now have to demobilise them. We are a political party that is in the business of representing citizens, I am sure all the citizens have missed an opportunity to replace all the LCs they   did not want,” Mr Mao, also the Minister for Constitutional Affairs, said.

Mr Ssemuju Ibrahim Nganda, the FDC Katonga faction spokesperson, said it was a deliberate move from President Museveni.

“Mr Museveni doesn’t want elections. Look at all the parliamentary cases that went up to Court of Appeal, this is the first time we are having almost no by-election and its deliberate. Mr Museveni only wants one election and that is the general elections and then he goes to rest,” he added.

However, the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Justice Simon Byabakama, said the roadmap for general elections under Article 61 close 2 of the constitution only talks about presidential, parliamentary and local government elections.

He said for any local council elections to be pushed together with the general elections, there must be an amendment within the Local Government Councils Regulations.

“Elections for administrative units are not under Article 61 of the Constitution. If the powers want to make it that way, then maybe they will have to look at amending some laws concerning these administrative units’ elections,” he added.

The national chairperson of the People’s Progressive Party, Mr Saddam Gayira, said the ruling NRM party does not want to hold the elections because they don’t have ground to win them.

“The NRM has to go into their primaries which takes a lot of money. The party is not ready to spend other billions of shillings in their primaries to select flag bearers in the local council elections. If they hold them today, chances are high that they will lose terribly,” he said.

Ms Alice Alaso, the acting national coordinator of Alliance for National Transformation, said reallocation of the funds means that the government is not serious about the role of LCs.

“A number of legal challenges are going to arise because the LCs have the mandate at the local levels. So the trouble we are going to face is the illegitimate institutions causing transaction challenges everywhere,” she added.

The Uganda Peoples Congress spokesperson Fred Ebiru advised the government to look for the funds to deal with the insecurity situation that needs the vigilance of legitimate local leaders.

NRM POSITION

The NRM spokesperson, Mr Emmanuel Dombo, however, described the Opposition’s opinions as unfortunate, saying they are always disregarding the government’s position. He said the government is under stress conditions financially with many unfunded priorities. “Postponing the elections is not fatal because if it was an epidemic, and people are dying and you would rather postpone elections to save Ugandans, that is something that would be understandable. But the government has promised that they are going to work very hard to raise the funds in future,” Mr Dombo said. He added:  “People are working very hard to return their children to school, disturbing them with an election now may not be the best thing to do even when it may be legitimately right because of the law.”

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