ugnet_: Uganda Parties See No Need for 2005 Referendum
Uganda Parties See No Need for 2005 Referendum Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The East African (Nairobi)February 9, 2004 Posted to the web February 11, 2004 A. Mutumba-Lule And Gertrude Kamuze Nairobi MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES in Uganda have vowed not to participate in the 2005 referendum to decide whether the country should go multiparty or remain under the Movement system, saying the talks they recently held with the National Resistance Movement rendered the exercise irrelevant. But government spokesman Nsaba Buturo, the Minister of Information in the Office of the President, said the referedum would be held. "The referendum on political parties is provided for in the Constitution and we must abide by it. Nothing will affect it in any way." Both the Democratic Party (DP) and the Uganda People,s Congress (UPC) point outthat in spite of the debate on the future of political parties, the Movement has been registered as a party - the National Resistance Movement Organisation (NRMO)."There is no need for a referendum since we are already in talks with the government. What we need now is to change the Political Parties and Organisations Act (POA), which can be done by parliament," said Dr James Rwanyarare of UPC. He added, "We need to go to parliament, rather than waste money on the referendum."Most legislators who spoke on the issue called on the government to do away with the POA and open up political space. The government's case is further weakened by the poor financial health of the Electoral Commission (EC), which will require up to Ush29billion ($14million) to hold the exercise early next year.This will be the second referendum to be held in less than six years on what political system Uganda should adopt. The first was held in 2000.DP spokesman Jude Mbabali, however, said last week that if the referendum is to decide whether the Movement system is retained or the country should go multiparty, the party would boycott it as it did the one held in 2000."We shall use the time set for the referendum to take our presidential candidate on a countrywide tour," said Mr Mbabali. But the row on whether to hold a referendum was not the only setback that the ruling Movement has faced recently. Over a week ago, a constitutional court annulled an amendment made to the Constitution in 2000, leading opposition politicians to call on the government to resign. The seven-judge bench ruled that the speed with which the 2000 amendment to the constitution was debated, passed and assented to by the president on the same day, as opposed to the 14-day requirement, rendered the changes illegal.Mr Buturo said that although the government would respect the court ruling, it would still go on with the referendum on parties. He said there was no constitutional crisis and the calls for the government to resign were in bad faith."The Movement is in firm control and there is no political crisis," said the minister.Mr Buturo said in a statement last week that those calling for the resignation of the government wanted to frustrate the ongoing talks between the government and the opposition parties. In the 2000 referendum on parties, major political parties such as the UPC, DP, a section of the Conservative Party (CP), led by legislator John Ken Lukyamuzi, boycotted the exercise, saying that the right to belong to a political party was God-given. But other newly registered parties, including the Action Party, led by Nelson Ocheger - which said that they were campaigning for the return of multipartyism - participated and were funded by the Electoral Commission."We told the Movement in 2000 that it was not necessary to go for a referendum, but they ignored us. Some of them have now realised their mistake and are on our side," said Mr Mbabali. Some supporters of the Movement, including a former local government minister Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, were quoted in the press recently as saying that the referendum was not necessary as parliament could easily handle the issue of the political system the country should adopt. For the first time in 18 years, this issue has divided the Movement's leadership, with some agitating for an immediate return to multiparty politics while others say that the Movement is the best system for a poor and religiously divided country such as Uganda. They argue that the parties were formed on the basis of religion and ethnicity. President Museveni banned political parties in 1986, leaving their activities limited to their headquarters. They are not allowed to hold delegates' conferences to elect new leaders.Party leaders have themselves used this reason not to change leadership, a development that has caused infighting and splits in the parties. Up to 53 new political parties have since come up and are expected to participate in the referendum. "The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can
ugnet_: Uganda Parties See No Need for 2005 Referendum
Regional- EastAfrican - Nairobi - KenyaMonday, February 9, 2004 Uganda Parties See NoNeed for 2005 ReferendumA JOINT REPORT THE EASTAFRICAN MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES in Uganda have vowed not to participate in the 2005 referendum to decide whether the country should go multiparty or remain under the Movement system, saying the talks they recently held with the National Resistance Movement rendered the exercise irrelevant. But government spokesman Nsaba Buturo, the Minister of Information in the Office of the President, said the referedum would be held. "The referendum on political parties is provided for in the Constitution and we must abide by it. Nothing will affect it in any way." Both the Democratic Party (DP) and the Uganda People,s Congress (UPC) point outthat in spite of the debate on the future of political parties, the Movement has been registered as a party the National Resistance Movement Organisation (NRMO). "There is no need for a referendum since we are already in talks with the government. What we need now is to change the Political Parties and Organisations Act (POA), which can be done by parliament," said Dr James Rwanyarare of UPC. He added, "We need to go to parliament, rather than waste money on the referendum." Most legislators who spoke on the issue called on the government to do away with the POA and open up political space. The government's case is further weakened by the poor financial health of the Electoral Commission (EC), which will require up to Ush29billion ($14million) to hold the exercise early next year. This will be the second referendum to be held in less than six years on what political system Uganda should adopt. The first was held in 2000. DP spokesman Jude Mbabali, however, said last week that if the referendum is to decide whether the Movement system is retained or the country should go multiparty, the party would boycott it as it did the one held in 2000. "We shall use the time set for the referendum to take our presidential candidate on a countrywide tour," said Mr Mbabali. But the row on whether to hold a referendum was not the only setback that the ruling Movement has faced recently. Over a week ago, a constitutional court annulled an amendment made to the Constitution in 2000, leading opposition politicians to call on the government to resign. The seven-judge bench ruled that the speed with which the 2000 amendment to the constitution was debated, passed and assented to by the president on the same day, as opposed to the 14-day requirement, rendered the changes illegal. Mr Buturo said that although the government would respect the court ruling, it would still go on with the referendum on parties. He said there was no constitutional crisis and the calls for the government to resign were in bad faith. "The Movement is in firm control and there is no political crisis," said the minister. Mr Buturo said in a statement last week that those calling for the resignation of the government wanted to frustrate the ongoing talks between the government and the opposition parties. In the 2000 referendum on parties, major political parties such as the UPC, DP, a section of the Conservative Party (CP), led by legislator John Ken Lukyamuzi, boycotted the exercise, saying that the right to belong to a political party was God-given. But other newly registered parties, including the Action Party, led by Nelson Ocheger which said that they were campaigning for the return of multipartyism participated and were funded by the Electoral Commission. "We told the Movement in 2000 that it was not necessary to go for a referendum, but they ignored us. Some of them have now realised their mistake and are on our side," said Mr Mbabali. Some supporters of the Movement, including a former local government minister Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, were quoted in the press recently as saying that the referendum was not necessary as parliament could easily handle the issue of the political system the country should adopt. For the first time in 18 years, this issue has divided the Movement's leadership, with some agitating for an immediate return to multiparty politics while others say that the Movement is the best system for a poor and religiously divided country such as Uganda. They argue that the parties were formed on the basis of religion and ethnicity. President Museveni banned political parties in 1986, leaving their activities limited to their headquarters. They are not allowed to hold delegates' conferences to elect new leaders. Party leaders have themselves used this reason not to change leadership, a development that has caused infighting and splits in the parties. Up to 53 new political parties have since come up and are expected to participate in the referendum. Reported by A. Mutumba-Lule and Gertrude KamuzeComments\Views about this article Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance: Get your refund fast by filing online
