Members of Parliament to discuss Government plan on local council polls as house resumes today Thursday, July 27, 2023
Today marks the return of the plenary, which was suspended last week after Speaker Anita Among requested that the government state its position on10th July 2023 on local council elections through the Parliament’s directorate of Communication and public aaffairs that runs the house’s official twitter handle before the order paper was issued today, 27th July 2023.
The House has resumed today, Thursday, 27 July 2023 at 10.00am. Related Last week, Speaker Among adjourned House, just about an hour after she had commenced proceedings. Prior to this, she had repeatedly asked the government side to prepare and table specific decisions that would inform the government’s next move local council leaders.
The Attorney General, Mr Kiryowa Kiwanuka on Tuesday appeared before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee where he reported that cabinet directed those elections for LCI and LCII be delayed for another month. Mr Kiryowa also indicated that cabinet had decided to extend the tenure of the administration in the said positions since organising for the same polls would require a minimum of three months.
According to him, the details would be contained in a Statutory Instrument No.63 of 2003 “The Local Government (Amendment of the Third Schedule Instrument) that will be tabled by the Minister for Local Government.
Details of today’s Order Paper indicate that the House is slated to commence at 10am with council elections listed as item number four.
In an interview, the vice chairperson of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee that interfaced with Mr Kiryowa on the matter, Mr Yusuf Mutembuli welcomed the government decision.
“I think that is why we are now resuming as Parliament to consider that instrument. I think we shall have further discussion on the contents of that instrument as Parliament,” Mr Mutembuli said.
He added: “From the interaction with the Attorney General, I think we were convinced and satisfied looking at the law.”
He also dismissed claims that there was friction between the legislature and executive wing over the elections.
“It is a win for Ugandans, not Parliament [because] we’re part of the government and we were only advising the government to move faster than expected,” Mr Mutembuli said.
