Kampala, Uganda – The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has condemned the government’s decision to extend the term of office of administrative unit councils (LC I and II) for another 180 days, marking the third time the elections have been postponed.
The decision by government comes after the previous extension granted in April was set to expire on July 3, 2024. The government has cited financial constraints as the main reason for the delay in holding elections for new office bearers, sparking more concerns over the fate of the local council leaders countrywide.
Speaking at their weekly press briefing at the party headquarters in Kampala, the spokesperson Sharon Oyat Arach disclosed that the decision is a violation of the democratic system in the country by the government in power.”This is a regrettable experience that undermines the development of our young democracy and a deliberate effort to deny the citizens of Uganda the right to elect their leaders.” said Arach
The government’s decision to prolong the tenure of local council leaders has sparked outrage, with Uganda people’s Congress Spokesperson Arach accusing the ruling party of lacking the political will to hold free and fair elections. “If the government had goodwill to conduct these local council elections, it wouldn’t have extended them at a time when the budget has just been read,” Arach added.
Arach further urged government to prioritise the local government elections by allocating the necessary resources to ensure their conduct. “We urge the government to respect the democratic process and allow citizens to exercise their right to vote,” Arach said.
The most recent elections for LC I and LC II leaders took place in 2018, covering 10,595 parishes and 70,626 villages. This marked a significant gap of nearly 17 years since the previous elections were held in 2001, under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government.
