The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Electoral Commission Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama has welcomed the proposed electoral reforms, saying they will ease the operations of the commission and ensure a better electoral process.
According to Justice Byabakama, the Commission was consulted and made some inputs in the proposed electoral reforms.
Last month, government tabled the long awaited proposed electoral reforms in five bills. They include the Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Political Parties and Organization (Amendment), 2019 and the Local Governments (Amendment) Bill No.21, 2019.
According to Justice Byabakama,, some of the existing laws were vague and hard to enforce. For instance he says that although the law provides that campaigns should close by 6pm, some candidates would defy the time limit but there was no penalty provided.
According to the Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2019, candidates shall hold campaigns between 7am and 6pm. A candidate who contravenes the provision commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding 48 currency points (960,000 Shillings) or imprisonment not exceeding two years or both.
Other proposed reforms include are that any candidate previously under a party but standing as an independent should have left the party at least 12 months before nominations, a candidate shall declare to the Commission, within 14 days after nomination day, the source of funds for financing his or her election.
The bill further proposes that a candidate or candidate’s agent shall not obtain, solicit or receive any financial or other assistance from any foreign Government, institution, body or person which or who has demonstrated an intention to overthrow the lawfully established Government of Uganda, or to endanger the security of Uganda; obtain, solicit or receive any financial or other assistance from an organisation which has been declared a terrorist organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2002.
The Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2019 further proposes that the Commission may make special provision for voting for specified persons in restricted areas and operation areas. The Commission shall publish in the Gazette, a list of restricted areas and operation areas.
The bill further proposes that an area provided for voting for members of the Uganda Peoples’ Defense Forces shall be outside any barracks and the Commission shall not create any special or separate polling stations exclusively for the army or any other security personnel.
The “operation area” includes an area where soldiers and other security personnel are deployed on special duty during an election period and may include a restricted area. According to the bill, a restricted area” includes an area experiencing an epidemic, disaster or insecurity.”
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