By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: Government has on Thursday 25 July 2019 tabled the bulk of electoral reform Bills including the Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill No.17, 2019, the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill No.18, 2019 and others. The others are the Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill No. 19, 2019, the Political Parties and Organization (Amendment) Bill No. 20, 2019 and the Local Governments (Amendment) Bill No.21, 2019.
William Byaruhanga the Attorney General tabled the bills for the first reading before parliament chaired by the speaker Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga who forwarded the five bills to the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee for scrutiny and present a report to parliament.
According to the Parliament Rules of Procedure, the committee has to scrutinize a bill within 45 days and present a report back to parliament for debate. Shortly after the presentation by the Attorney General, the Shadow Attorney General, Wilfred Niwagaba also noted that the opposition has various amendments to electoral laws and the Constitution.
He sought space on the Order Paper to present the proposal so that they are considered alongside those of government. Kadaga directed the Clerk to Parliament, Jane Kibirige to include the request on the Order Paper for Tuesday next week to allow the opposition to present its proposed reforms.
The Supreme Court on June 25 ordered government to ensure that legislation of its earlier electoral reform orders are tabled before Parliament within one month.
A panel of seven justices in their ruling, observed that the Attorney General (AG), who is the chief Government legal adviser, had made efforts to ensure that the court’s earlier directives on electoral reforms were followed but not as they should.
The justices who made the ruling are Stella Arach-Amoko, Eldad Mwangusya, Rubby Opio-Aweri, Faith Mwondha, Paul Mugamba, Richard Buteera and Augustine Nshimye.
“The proposed legislation for implementation of the court’s recommendation should be laid before Parliament within one month from the date of this ruling. We find that the Attorney General has made efforts to follow up the recommendations but is as yet to achieve the desired objective of the court,” ruled the justices.
Adding: “He was not expected to be the sole participant. As an institution of government in getting the laws enacted, the court recommendations could only be implemented in time if and when all organs of the State played their roles in the process of enacting the recommended laws.”
Further, the court directed the AG to ensure consultation with other organs of the State to ensure that priority is given to the implementation of all the court’s earlier electoral reform recommendations.
The AG was also directed to report to court the progress of the proposed legislation within three months from the date of the ruling.
They further stated that the court set a timeline for the follow-up because the enacted laws should be passed and effected in time for all stake holders to implement and comply with the laws in subsequent elections.
