PARLIAMENT – With the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Kahinda Otafiire playing ping pong on electoral reforms, the opposition has proposed 10 reforms they want included in the electoral reforms as per the Supreme Court ruling ahead of the 2021 general elections.
The Opposition, led by Betty Aol (Leader of Opposition), Ssemujju Nganda (Opposition Chief Whip) and Betty Nambooze (Shadow Minister of Information and Communication), made their ten electoral reforms public, saying as much as the Executive has failed to abide by the Supreme Court ruling that recommended to have the reforms passed two years to elections, the alternative Government is ready with their reforms.
Among the proposed reforms lined by opposition included introduction of a federal government, reinstating and entrenching presidential term limits, having a subsidized cabinet of only 21 ministers and their junior ministers.
The Electoral reforms will also provide for constitution of an Independent electoral commission, securing independence of Parliament as well as creation of Minority and Majority leaders in Parliament.
The other reforms are; creation of speaker’s panel that will be advising the speaker’s office and preside over Parliament in case speaker and deputy are not present, have a vice president as a running mate to the president in elections, constitution of an independent electoral commission among others.
The Opposition is also proposing the run-ups in presidential elections to also join Parliament as ex official members to enable the person that has contested in elections and garnered votes to lead the Opposition in Parliament
The scrapping off the army from the political offices especially Parliament as well as restoration of Presidential term limits are part of the reforms the group is proposing.
Nambooze defended the tabling of the electoral reforms stating that as opposition, they cannot fold our hands as the NRM fails to put in place reforms and hide behind promise of setting up a constitutional review commission as they wait for the NRM appointed Electoral Commission prepare and serve Uganda another sham election
She also invited all democracy seeking forces to offer them advice and revealed to have written to clerk to Parliament of their readiness to table these electoral reforms.
She said: “We know very well that the reason the NRM has refused to present the Bills as ordered by the Supreme Court is because many of them are beneficiaries of rigged elections. We take note that some of the NRM leaders are also victims of flawed elections.”
“It’s NRM that benefits from Electoral violence. The country is aware that presidential nominations will be conducted around August 2020, ”Nambooze added.
