FDC tables response to Constitutional Amendment Bill

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has reiterated its proposal to create parliamentary seats for presidential candidates who garner 10 percent votes or more in the presidential elections.

The party officials led by their president Patrick Oboi Amuriat on Wednesday appeared before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee to present their views on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019.

The private members Bill was presented by the Shadow Attorney-General Wilfred Niwagaba.

Some of the proposals in the Bill include scraping the representation of the army in Parliament, repeal of the Office of Prime Minister and Vice President, reinstatement of presidential term limits and prohibiting the appointment of Ministers from among MPs among other things.

FDC’s Appointments Committee chairperson Wafula Oguttu argued that the current system creates a situation where even a candidate who has garnered 49 percent of the vote loses out completely. He says that this leaves a vast section of the population bitter and disenfranchised.

Meanwhile, Amuriat called for the amendment of Article 61 of the Constitution to mandate the Electoral Commission to declare results in the presidential race at the constituency level. He said that this will prevent the distortion of results while they are being relayed to the National Tally Center.

Amuriat claims the party has evidence of a parallel tally centre during the last election where results were doctored before being forwarded to Namboole where the National Tally Center was set up.

FDC also proposed the amendment of Article 60 of the Constitution to create a national selection panel. The purpose of the panel according to FDC will be to invite applicants, shortlist and vet individuals to serve as commissioners on the Electoral Commission and other bodies. A list of nominees will then be sent to the President for an appointment.

According to the party, the panel will consist of five members, three commissioners from the Public Service and 2 Supreme Court judges.

Amuriat argues that while many issues dog the Electoral Commission, the main complaint seems to be the Independence and integrity of the individual commissioners.

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