Political parties frustrated over delay in holding LC elections

Political parties and organizations in Uganda are growing increasingly frustrated over the lack of communication from the Electoral Commission regarding the rescheduling of local council and women council elections.

The elections, which have been postponed twice, were initially set to take place in 2024.

However, as the extended deadline approaches, political parties say they have yet to receive any official notice about the new dates.

In January, Local Government Minister Raphael Magezi announced that "Cabinet gave a green light to the extension of the term of office for both LC1 and LC2 offices as well as women councils for another period of 180 days starting January 6, 2024."

With the deadline drawing near, political parties are demanding clarity on when the elections will occur, suspecting that the government is deliberately avoiding the polls.

One political party representative expressed frustration over the uncertainty, saying,

"We are affected because all our hopes were on the LC elections." Another added,

"We had already earmarked resources for this election, but now we don't know what to do."

The Electoral Commission has indicated that it requires over 50 billion shillings to conduct the elections for both LC1 and LC2 as well as women councils.

However, government officials claim that there is a lack of funding to support the process, leading to further delays.

The delay has fueled suspicions among opposition parties that the government is deliberately stalling the elections due to fears of losing.

An opposition party leader commented, "This is deliberate because they know they are going to lose. They don't want to face the music, so they're dragging their feet."

The uncertainty surrounding the elections has not only left political parties in limbo but also raised concerns about the government's commitment to democratic processes at the local level.