Is Uganda Electoral Commission independent?
This is a question raised by various media company I News bulletin and all opposition parties.
The Commission is headed by honourable Simon Mugenyi Byabakama who is the present Chairman of the Electoral Commission in Uganda in which he was appointed by the President of Uganda on November 2016.
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| Hon. Simon Byabakama Chairman Electoral Commission |
The Commission has been under scrutiny after the 2021 general Elections in which Ugandans voted for all their leaders in office including the President which was won by his Excellency Y.K Museveni, Members of Parliament and councilors of all districts which the commission says it handled scientifically.
The questions rose during campaigns where opposition got a lot of trouble because they stuck on physical campaigns which had been restricted by the commission.
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The independence of the Commission is one that Opposition has questioned because of how its Chairman is voted first because he or she is appointed by the president who has executive power to appoint another in case of any form of disagreement of the chairman with the executive arm of government, this makes him answerable to the president for his work and leaves very little control of the Ugandan Parliament on the offices of the Electoral Commission which has been the main factor which needs to be addressed if the Electoral Commission is to be addressed fully.
This is because the Parliament should be able to oversee all activities of the Commission for its full accountability of its activities.
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