Minister to announce plan on Local Council elections
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Nobert Mao, has told MPs that the Minister of Local Government will announce the plan to deal with the impasse on Local Council (LC) elections.
The term of office of LC I and LC II representatives expired and this has raised concern, with lawmakers saying that the vaccum has caused crises in villages.
Mao told the plenary sitting on Wednesday, 19 July 2023 that Hon. Raphael Magyezi, the local government minister, will present the next cause of action because the ministry supervises the LC units.
The minister had on 12 July 2023 during Plenary told the House that the budget deficit supposed to cover activities for the elections is Shs59 billion.
“Alongside him will be the Attorney General, but the actual solution will come from all the organs of government including this august House. As you know, the Electoral Commission needs resources and I believe their position will also be in that report,” Mao said.
He added that Cabinet is equally concerned about the implications of the expiry of the term of office of LCs.
“We are not here to put our heads in the sand like the ostrich, we are admitting that this is a verdict that demands a solution,” said Mao.
He was responding to a call by the Speaker, Anita Among, who demanded an action plan from government by Thursday, 20 July 2023.
“We need the LCs in place, we are living in a country where the LCs cannot sign anything because they do not have the powers. We want to know your position so that we know how to proceed as a country,” Among said.
Hon. Anthony Akol (FDC, Kilak North County) said that absence of LCs has caused a crisis in villages, and he called for suspension of plenary sittings to show the magnitude of the matter.
“Right now I got communication from my constituency, there are people who went to court to get bail, they cannot get it because they are supposed to go with LC I letters,” Akol said.
The Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, however, said that there is no crisis.
“The matter will be resolved. Tomorrow [20 July 2023], we shall come with a statement,” she said.