Despite the uncertainties that surround the elections for Local Council One chairpersons, all the major political parties have upped their efforts to mobilise for the polls that are scheduled to take place around March.
While the National Resistance Movement (NRM) is looking to consolidate its dominance from the 2016 general elections, the leading opposition groups have upped their mobilisation efforts at the grassroots as they seek to gain some ground from the ruling party.
On January 10, 2016, Parliament passed the Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which reduces time for display of voters’ roll from 21 to two days, as well as reducing the time for the Electoral Commission to determine objections arising from the display of the voters’ roll. The law also cuts the campaign time ahead of the election of village and parish councils from seven days to one.
With little time at their disposal, even after postponement of the polls that were earlier set to be held on January 17, the leading parties have embarked on countrywide mobilisation for support and identifying possible candidates for various positions.
Uganda has 7,431 parishes and 57,842 villages in 1,403 sub-counties.
PARTIES MOBILISE
In the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), the former presidential candidate of the country’s largest opposition party, Dr Kizza Besigye, is spearheading the mobilization. On Wednesday, Besigye and other party officials started their mobilization in Kiruhura district.
According to the party’s spokesperson, Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda, FDC intends to field candidates in all villages, in line with a decision made by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
“We, as a party, are going to participate in these elections in spite of the problems of the decision by both parliament and government to amend the Local Government Act. We have problems with lining up, which is not OK but we are not going to abandon these elections for the NRM,” Ssemujju told The Observer last week.
The Kira municipality MP added that the FDC did not conduct nominations or primaries to select candidates because they were not sure of the election date. However, he said, the FDC structures will identify the candidates.
On their part, the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) says the election provides them with an avenue to gain grassroots support that they intend to use to propel them to a better overall performance at the next general elections.
UPC spokesperson Michael Osinde said the party’s leadership is currently combing various villages to mobilise supporters and potential candidates.
“You remember last time we didn’t get a presidential candidate because (Jimmy) Akena’s argument was that our grassroots structures were weak so we look at this election keenly. That is why we have decided to participate in these elections,” he said.
The Democratic Party (DP) has not been left out either. According to the DP publicity secretary, Kenneth Kakande, the preparations to mobilise for the elections are underway, although he declined to provide details before the party makes a formal announcement next week.
“We had a meeting that is planning this and we have instructed the organising secretary to conclude his plans for these elections,” he said. “We are going to fully participate at all levels and a programme will be released next week. We have also instructed our teams to start identifying candidates at the grassroots.”
But as some of the opposition parties grapple for direction, the ruling NRM already seems to have its act together. Late last year, the NRM electoral commission chairman, Tanga Odoi, released a tentative roadmap for the LC-I elections.
Odoi told journalists at party headquarters in Kampala that they already have flag bearers in each village. He said they will only be filling up positions that became vacant.
“While NRM oversaw the election of flag bearers for all the villages in the country, some positions have since fallen vacant as a result of deaths, change of residence, progression to higher levels and loss of interest,” Odoi said.
Currently, the NRM is going back to villages to identify the gaps and fill them before facing off with others later this month.
OVERDUE POLLS
Uganda last held local council elections in 2002 before the country shifted from the one-party Movement system to the multiparty system of governance.
Attempts to hold the elections in 2006 were thwarted following the Constitutional court ruling on the petition by the then FDC member, Maj (rtd) Rubaramira Ruranga, who challenged the legality of the incumbent Local Councils following the country’s return to the multiparty political system.
MODE OF VOTING
In 2015, Parliament amended the Local Government Act to provide for lining behind the candidates nominated for the office, their representatives, portraits or symbols in elections of village or cell councils and parish or ward council chairperson.
This was last week confirmed by both government and parliament. Osinde said the amendment will cost them votes as many voters from various political parties will shy away from lining up behind a UPC candidate.
“This method is not a good one because most of the people from FDC or NRM who would have wished to vote for us might be shy due to the procedure. But we are trying to sensitise and let them know that those elections will help local people; more so, they should be looking at bringing a person who is to deliver,” Osinde added.
The current LC-I chairperson of Kireka Zone B, James Wasswa, said the recommended method of voting is bound to create hostilities and domestic violence in the communities in case of divergent opinions.
“The secret ballot, however expensive government claims it is, would have solved these issues. Now we are going to see husbands fighting with their wives because they stood behind a different person. Even neighbours will start fighting each other,” Wasswa said.
Jackson Sempebwa, a resident of Namugongo village in Wakiso district, further argued that the method is likely to deter many public servants from choosing a candidate of their choice voting altogether.
“Look at the policemen and the soldiers, as well as the various government workers; do you think they will line up behind someone who is not NRM? Of course they fear intimidation or dismissal that may come after. Many will just remain at their homes for that matter,” Sempebwa said.
EC COMPOSITION
However, even as the parties prepare their teams, the Electoral Commission (EC), which is mandated to organize the polls, says the money that government is giving them is not enough to run the elections countrywide.
According to Jotham Taremwa, the EC spokesperson, new villages were added after the initial budget of Shs 15 billion had been drawn.
“We are waiting for the bill to be signed by the president and then we can put in our request for money officially. Currently, we don’t know when the money is coming,” he said during an interview with a local television station.
Taremwa added that even if the money is eventually provided, the commission is not fully constituted to organise the elections since the recently- appointed chairperson, his deputy and four other commissioners have not yet taken office.
President Museveni appointed Justice Simon Byabakama as the new EC chairperson to be deputized by Hajjati Aisha Lubega. Mr Peter Emorut, Stephen Tashobya, Prof George Piwang and Mustapha Ssebagala were appointed as members of the commission.
kamogajonathan50@gmail.com