Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has warned President Museveni against single handedly appointing the new team to head the country’s Electoral Commission (EC).
The party’s spokesperson Ibrahim Semujju Nganda told the media on Monday in Najjanankumbi that the country “has suffered a lot of election irregularities all streaming from a single man’s commission which could only serve that man’s interests.”
“As you are aware, the term of office of the existing Electoral Commission (EC)’s Commissioners, Chairperson and Vice is ending in November save for the Secretary to the Commission, Sam Rwakojo whose term ended much earlier,” Nganda said.
“We want to remind Mr. Museveni under his constitutional mandate that it will not be business as usual, we have had a struggle and at least everybody now agrees that we must have an independent Electoral Commission,” Nganda noted
Nganda says the EC Chairperson, Badru Kiggundu and his colleagues are not leaving the Electoral Commission with good pairs of clean hands.
He cited the recent Parliamentary elections, where up to 25 seats have so far been annulled in court petitions.
Nganda says the all the past commissions from Stephen Akabwai have been there to “preside over elections where Museveni is already the winner.”
As the president prepares to unveil the new commissioners, Nganda says he must not ignore the proposals that were tabled by the Interparty Platform for Dialogue (IPOD) which include; that the number of commissioners of the EC must be increased from 7 to 9 to serve a term of seven years non-renewable.
The IPOD also proposed that the Judicial Service Commission should appoint a selection committee which would identify suitable candidates as members of EC from which the President will pick as is the case with the Judges.
IPOD also proposed that the appointment process should be more transparent and inclusive where the committee invites political parties, civil societies, professional bodies and the public to nominate persons to be appointed to head the commission. The names of the nominated candidates should be published.
“Before a new EC is constituted, there must be a consultative process that will include all Ugandans and the process would then determine the criteria; so we don’t expect Mr. Museveni to just announce names of commissioners, we are not ready to continue that way.”
Nganda added that the party is spearheading proposals to amend the provisions in the constitution which are already before Parliament and will be soon tabled for the relevant amendments.