The Attorney General, Fred Ruhindi, has withdrawn the Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2015, which sought to re-designate Registrars as District Election Administrators and provide for the Electoral Commission to specify their duties.

The leader of opposition, Wafula Oguttu, said presenting the electoral laws late showed that government was not interested in having the laws in place. He said that it was unfortunate that the laws had been considered and passed when the electoral process had started. The Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, said Parliament had performed well and had done what was necessary to conduct a good election.

Before parliament went to recess on Wednesday this week, it had passed two bills making amendments to the electoral procedures and requirements for presidential and parliamentary candidates ahead of next year’s general elections. Parliament approved the increment in nomination fees from 8 million shillings to 20 million shillings  and scrapped the government’s contribution to presidential candidates. Parliament voted to increase the nomination fees payable by parliamentary aspirants from the current 200,000 to 3 million shillings.

The Member of Parliament for Obongi county Hussein Kaps Fungaroo says that the increase of the  nomination  fee  for aspiring candidates will cause future MPs to sale off themselves to people with money and pass laws in their interest without being sympathetic to poor voters.

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Government is to set to table election amendment bills that will see changes in nomination fees, polling times and permitting polling officers to vote. This information is contained in a communication to Members of Parliament from the Office of the Clerk to Parliament notifying them about the recall of Parliament from recess.

The Clerk, Mrs Jane Kibirige, said the House will, tomorrow, Tuesday 22nd September 2015 consider the Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2015; the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2015; and the Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2015.

“This is to notify you that Parliament has been recalled and is scheduled to sit on Tuesday,22nd September 2015 at 10.00am to consider the bills”, the Clerk said in the communication.

The Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2015 seeks to revise the nomination fees payable; to revise the facilitation provided for a presidential candidate; to remove the requirement for a candidate to campaign in every district; to provide for polling to close at 4.00pm on polling day and to require the Electoral Commission to provide for persons engaged in electoral activities or on duty in specific professions or areas vote.

The Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2015 seeks to also revise the nomination fees; provide for closure of polls at 4.00pm and to provide for persons engaged in the electoral activities or on duty in specific professions or areas to vote.

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