The Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP), Winnie Kiiza has expressed worry over the delayed appointment of a new Electoral Commission (EC) by the appointing authority.
Kiiza raised this concern after a question was raised to the Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda on when government intends to appoint new commissioners to the electoral body.
In response, the Prime Minister, Ruhakana Rugunda noted that government will appoint a new commission ‘anytime from now.’
This didn’t go well with the Kiiza who later stood up and demanded a ‘genuine response from government.’
“The issue of the Electoral Commission is not something that we can simply gloss over and go. The Prime Minister has just assured us and has always told us that by January we shall be having elections of LC1 and 2,” Kiiza said.
“Kiggundu and his commission have taken 14 years without fixing the issue of local council elections and their tenure is expiring tomorrow; for now we don’t have any commissioner, I don’t know how ready we shall be with the commission is really not yet in place,” Kiiza said.
“Who will ensure that these elections are carried out in a free and fair atmosphere with a commission appointed three days to an election?”
Kiiza warned that if people go into an election with a commission that is not fully prepared and they mess around with the election, some people might take it as a matter of life and death which may breed chaos.
She urged the Prime Minister to let the country know how the new commission will be appointed and when.
