Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah
The team from Brussels, led by Emanuele Giaufret, held a discussion today in the morning with the deputy speaker Jacob Oulanyah regarding the various issues of concern about the credibility of Uganda?s electoral process.
Giaufret said, ?After the 2011 elections, the EU team of observers made several recommendations on the necessary reforms in Uganda?s electoral process. Are you satisfied by the electoral legislations? Do you think they respond to concerns of stakeholders?
In the report that was released in May 2011, the EU observers? team raised concern about massive commercialization of politics, use of state resources to fund elections, and among other issues, unfair allocation of space in the public media.
Oulanyah responded saying, ?I am speaker for parliament. I cannot speak about what happened outside parliament. But we handled the Bills which came to parliament.?
At this point the EU ambassador to Uganda Kristian Schmidt interjected and asked Oulanyah whether in the recently passed electoral laws there was any legislation that sought to curtail commercialization of politics in Uganda.
Oulanyah quickly responded saying, ?It is a tall order to put a legislation of election financing. It is a challenge even in the US. When the stakes are high money issues become serious.?
As Oulanyah was still beating around the bush, Schmidt further interjected saying, ?Do you think the existing legislation is enough to prevent voter bribery??
The deputy speaker said, ?I think the implementation is what is lacking. Each time voter bribery has been proved, an election has been nullified. That is why nobody can go and openly distribute.?
Responding to Schmidt?s question on the state of commercialization of politics in Uganda, Oulanyah said, ?I think it is getting worse.?
Looking startled by Oulanyah?s response, Schmidt said, ?But it is the role of the Electoral Commission to enforce the law prohibiting commercialization of politics. Do you think it is doing its role well??
Defending the Electoral Commission, Oulanyah said, ?EC mainly acts when it gets complaints. They have a limited staff to monitor what goes on across the country.?
Schmidt expressed dissatisfaction that most of the recommendations for reforms in the EU observers? team report and proposals for reforms from various stakeholders like the opposition had not been implemented.
By Moses Mulondo, The New Vision
