As the tenure of the current Electoral Commission (EC) comes to an end, Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC) party President Jimmy Akena has advised government to allow representation of all major political parties while constituting a new commission.
Addressing the media on Wednesday at Uganda House, the UPC President Jimmy Michael Akena noted that in line of building democracy and trust in the country’s electoral process, government should consider bringing on board all political players to participate in the formation of a credible EC.
“If we can have a system where by all political players and contenders fill comfortable with the electoral process it will help build democracy in the country,” Akena said.
Akena added, “If we can form EC across political lines and people of caliber, which has respect across party lines, it will enhance democracy but to reach there we must have some levels of engagement and IPOD gives us such a platform.”
Akena observed that political parties should be allowed to put up names to be considered by giving them a fair opportunity to compete for the jobs as well as being scrutinized.
“Specifically UPC does have members who would love to sit on the Electoral Commission and if we can sit down and forward the names they would be considered because we have people of caliber, good track record and can operate in the manner whereby their conduct would be above board.”
While appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs recently, the EC Chairperson Badru Kiggundu told journalists that once such a proposal is approved it will create a lot of problems in decision making at the country’s EC.
“If you bring representative of each political parties to manage elections, you are bringing down a mini-parliament because there will be discussion on every decision to be taken just like you see the debating for Parliament,” Kiggundu said.
“Decision making by consensus will be fault up because the members have duo masters on taking a decision, he or she has to first go and consult; here I can only consult my boss.”