Opposition and civil society groups in Uganda have launched a “citizens for reforms now” campaign to pressure parliament to institute electoral reforms ahead of next year’s general election. Parliamentarian Mathias Mpuga, a leading opposition member, says opponents of President Yoweri Museveni have dismissed electoral reform proposals presented to parliament by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). Among the proposals is a call to change the name of the electoral commission.
Mpuga rejected the government’s proposals as cosmetic. “ [This is] to try and put pressure on the regime and members of parliament to make sure that they consider the kind of reform that were submitted to parliament by political party groups and civil society groups,” said Mpuga. “Their proposed bill falls short of people’s expectations and fails to capture the reforms that can give the country a free fair and credible election we had demanded. It’s the reason why we strongly rejected the government’s proposals,” he added.
Mpuga said opposition demands will give voters confidence. “We want a restructuring of the electoral commission by changing its appointment process, composition and strengthening its independence. We want an amendment to the electoral laws pertaining to the voting tallying and transmission of election results from the polling stations to the national tally center,” he said.
Full Article: Uganda Opposition Groups Demand Electoral Reforms.