Walter Wafula and Dorothy Nakaweesi
7 July 2009
Kampala — A top European Union diplomat yesterday backed the current demands especially by the opposition for massive electoral laws reforms ahead of the 2011 elections, to aide free and fair polls.
Ambassador Vincent De Visscher, the head of the European Union Commission's Delegation to Uganda, said the government should adopt and implement the 2006 Presidential and Parliamentary Election EU's Observer Team recommendations that were aimed at increasing transparency in the voting process.
"In order to have a vibrant democracy, you have to have a framework that allows this democracy to be expressed," Mr De Visscher who was speaking at a ceremony to announce the donation of Euros30 million (Shs87 billion) to Uganda said.
He said the government needs to go beyond "a routine work of business as usual and to look deeply into the recommendations not only from the EU observations but also other countries that have observed the elections.
Key among the 2006 recommendations by the EU observers included; reinstating the two term limits as stated in the 1995 Constitution, ending unreasonable and discriminatory requirements for candidacy, removal of guaranteed seats for the army, youth and workers, and enhancing procedure for making complaints, and allowing Ugandans abroad to vote.
The EU, which finances more than a quarter of Uganda's annual national budget, has indicated the above recommendations have not been addressed.
Mr De Visscher's comments come at the time when the country is debating President Museveni's unwillingness to reform the country's electoral laws put in a letter to former minister turned opposition party leader Bidandi Ssali on May 14.
Mr Museveni also told journalists last week that the only problem was lack of a computerised voters' register despite the 2006 Supreme Court orders that several electoral laws including sections of the Presidential Elections Act should be amended to deal with several contradictions and loopholes for electoral malpractices.
Four opposition parties including the largest - the Forum for Democratic Change - have proposed several reforms, including reconstituting the membership of the Electoral Commission - but the government has been unwilling to discuss or implement them.
Mr De Visscher yesterday emphasised that voter registration and education are important elements that need to be looked into ahead of the 2011 elections.
"I think there's definitely a score there, to ensure that voters are not disenfranchised," he said.
Reacting to the EU ambassador's call, Finance Minister Syda Bbumba defended President Museveni saying that he was misunderstood.
She also agreed that updating and computerizing of the voter registration system is "a very good proposal" because "most of the complaints have been around voter registration."
On Mr Museveni's May letter, Ms Bbumba said; "May be what the President meant was that, there are not going to be a major overhaul of the Electoral Commission but the multiparty recommendations are right now before Parliament and once they are taken then they will have to be followed."
She also said the government had proven its commitment to increasing transparency in the next elections by funding the activities of the Electoral Commission.
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