Members of parliament on legal and parliamentary Affairs committee have demanded the Electoral commission to issue out the road map for elections of chairpersons for village (LC1) and parish (LC2) levels. The MPs’ demand came after they realized that in the Electoral commission budget 2016/17 there is only 7 billion shillings allocated for L.CI and L.CII elections yet the minister for local government last year while defending the bill told parliament that the money will be available for elections.
The MPs on the committee chaired by Stephen Tashobya who include Merdad Segoona, Kabakumba Masiko and Abdul Katuntu while meeting Electoral commission officials led by Dr. Badru Kiggundu say that though government has not budgeted for the elections of lower local councils leaders the Electoral commission they should indicate when this election should take place. The member of parliament for Busiro East Merdad Segoona says that will not accept the Electoral commission budget approval if the funds for election of Lower local councils are not availed.
MPs say that they will have a meeting with the ministry of finance and the prime minister to cause them to release the required funds to conduct the local administrative units which have been halted for almost 10 years. In June last year parliament passed the Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2014 providing for lining up behind candidates during elections of chairpersons for village (LC1) and parish (LC2) levels to reduce on the cost of conducting these elections from 505billion shillings to 35 billion shillings.
The electoral commission is also pleading to members of parliament to prevail to the ministry of finance to provide 77 million shillings for creation of four more districts which were approved by parliament last year to commence in July this year. The Electoral commission headed by Dr. Kiggundu said that there is funds to recruit and paying staff for these new districts.
Districts to start effective 1st July 2016 include Kagadi, Kakumiro, Omoro and Rubanda.
