The opposition in Parliament sitting on the Appointments Committee have Monday boycotted the vetting of the new Electoral Commission (EC) members who were recently sent before the committee by President Museveni.
Recently, DP president,Norbert Mao who is also the Chairman of the Interparty Organization for Dialogue (IPOD) petitioned the Speaker of Parliament calling upon her to stay the vetting process.
According to the Leader of Opposition Winnie Kizza, IPOD was working on a process to the effect that the issues in Citizens Compact of free and fair elections, which suggested an independent Electoral Commission involve a commission that is no longer appointed by the president.
“In July IPOD met President Museveni at State House in July where issues of an Independent EC were discussed and the president said that the process was going to be first tracked. He ordered the Prime Minister to organize a meeting so that these issues are further discussed,” said the LOP.
“When the names came out, IPOD through Mao wrote a petition to the Speaker saying that the process should be given a chance to continue. Well we haven’t received any communication form the Speaker whether the president has accepted that the process continues or not.”
Kiiza said the opposition still believes in IPOD and that what the president committed himself to do in the meeting at State House is still on.
“Our process is still on and we are not attending the vetting because the process that the president communicated to us is still incomplete. The president should explain to us why he hurriedly appointed EC members without communicating to his colleagues with whom they were in a meeting.”