The Electoral Commission last held LCI and II elections in 2001 under the one-party Movement system. The councils’ office term expired on May 12, 2006. Only elections at Local Council III (sub-county), district, parliamentary and presidential level have been held under a multi party system of governance since the country reverted to political pluralism in 2005. This year, 2017 the Electoral commission plans to hold elections of local Council I and II the challenge is the Budget is to big for Uganda.
Parliament passed the Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2014 providing for queueing up behind candidates during LC elections. The earlier law mandated the EC to organise, conduct and supervise the LC elections at local government level by secret ballot, using one ballot box for all candidates. The amendment Bill indicated that voting by lining up behind candidates would drastically reduce the cost of holding the LC elections from Shs. 505 billion to Shs. 35 billion. The government proposal for cutting the budget further must be supported as long as the save money should be spent on social services. investing in Menstrual can keep girls in school and such is a worthy the while investment, just like immunisation and vaccination.
Its not in contention that Uganda's budget is already constrained and we must welcome any efforts for giving it a holiday. I agree that human rights are paramount especially the right to decide ones leaders, I know that such a right can be influenced or threatened by many factors. Our priority this time round can should be universally enrolling Ugandans on social services that they have lined-up for for a long time. At the head of the line has been politics, I pray it pleases the politicians that way is made for health care.
I find making LC 1 politics a national matter an insult to the communities that such leadership serves, they have waited for so long, and any delay is disenfranchising them the more. To the society LC I plays the Judicial, executive, and security referral roles for the acquisition of most of the national services for all citizens and land alienation. Terms of office of LC I's and II's must be renewed others fill for those that died and those that constituents want to replaced so be it.
National politics shall bring to the fore: election's financing, security stampede, calls to lengthen campaign time, call off's for working and the after effects of elections shall end up in unending court battles. What do citizen's want? Having functional government schools and hospitals, roads and cheap electricity; not political parties making them a statistic!
Government does not have the budget set aside to conduct the same in the method that has happened for the rest of the elections. Lining behind the preferred candidates is the most feasible method at the disposal of the budget frugal planners given the presidential direction to invest in infrastructure. Given the petroleum life cycle Uganda is at were have not choice because we must get to middle income.
The human rights advocates and the majority opposition have rejected the method fronting constitutional, rule of law and resultant violence as justification against the method proposed.
It is very true that government as it plans petroleum development stage of the petroleum cycle, priority must be made on developing the requisite infrastructure acceptable for harnessing petro products.
Health, education and other social goods can make for priority considering their small budgets and they cannot wait and because the needed capacity building, live saving and distributive justice means more for all Ugandans and that must be priori.
We need the leaders yes; but social services must come first. Elections come every after five years, needless to mention that LC1 and 2 have for a period beyond the 15 years and counting for something 3 regimes have been at bay.
Districts and Municipalities set fees for candidates to support the purchase of electoral materials such has happened in the academic institutions, besides these finally set prices for carrying out their mandate; I humbly propose.
But lining up to vote a leader is not as humiliating as it is for rations on of food, or for a loan, lets start to save as a country thirsty for joining middle income and here we can start.