Parliament has allowed the Minister for local government to table amendments in the Local Government Act to scrap the age limits for those intending to contest for lower local council positions.
Members of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee on Thursday expressed urgent need to remove age restrictions in the Local Government Act which require aspirants standing for LCIII leadership and municipal or city division to be 30 years or above to qualify.
Legislators contend that the law is segregative especially after the 2017 amendment that removed age restrictions for presidential and LCV candidates.
They say, several aspirants have already been blocked from nomination on account of being underage and called for the suspension of the ongoing nomination exercise for LCIII chairpersons until amendments are made to the Local Government Act.
Committee members noted that there exists inconsistency in the requirements arguing that if an 18-year-old can be allowed to contest for the presidency, there is no reason why the same should not be extended to LCIII chairpersons.
Electoral Commission Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama consented that this was an anomaly but also an inadvertent omission at the legislative level. In regard to the on-going nominations Byabakama however noted that EC will only operate within provisions of the law.
EC had appeared before the committee to seek common ground on the issue regarding the nomination of candidates with names on their National Identity Cards differing from names on their academic documents.
Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa pointed out that the Electoral Commission should follow the law but advised government to include an amendment to remove the age restrictions in the Local Government Amendment Bill that it has just gazetted. He suggests that the nomination exercise be deferred until such an amendment is made.
The matter was in parliament raised by the Soroti woman MP Angeline Osegge who was angered by the fact that the EC was asking married women who have since changed from their maiden names to first publish the intent to change their name in the gazette before seeking the nomination. Currently, married aspirants simply present a statutory declaration and marriage certificate.
MPs on the committee unanimously agreed that the amendments should be expeditiously tabled for processing under Article 180 of the Constitution which gives parliament powers of reviewing the Act without going through the normal procedure.
Earlier, Hon Jova Kamateeka had raised a proposal to have composition of women councilors increased claiming that the current law limits gender participation and places a huge burden to women councilors yet they are not entitled to salaries.
Kamateeka noted that some women councilors represent up to three sub-counties which is burdensome yet the law prescribes their male counterparts with one subcounty.
Local Government minister Hon Rafael Magyezi however guided that the amendment will require a constitutional amendment which provides a one-third number of women in all councils.
