Contenders for offices in lower local governments who had been initially turned away at nomination centers on account of age, can now get nominated following an amendment by parliament to the Local Government Act, which repealed the provision on age-limit.
This follows President Yoweri Museveni’s assent to the amendment bill recently passed by parliament to remove the age requirements for persons to qualify for election as Chairpersons of Municipalities, Town Councils, Divisions or Sub-counties.
The act initially capped the age for contestants for LCIII chairperson positions, sub-county, municipal or city division level at 30 and 75. As a result, several aspirants were blocked by the Electoral Commission, in the ongoing nomination exercise.
According to a circular issued by the EC’s Acting Secretary, Mr. Mulekwa Leonard to all regional election officers, the above amendment comes into force today October 2, 2020.
Mr. Mukekwa notes that aspiring candidates for the above offices must be 18 years ad above.
In regard to the on-going nomination process for Local Government officials which started last month, the Acting EC Spokesperson, Mr. Paul Bukenya, all aspiring candidates who were affected by the age-limit requirement should appear at nomination centers and be nominated.
Mr. Bukenya said the affected aspiring candidates have tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday October 04, to be nominated before the process is closed on the same day.
During the tabling of the amendment bill, MPs claimed that the requirement of age in the Act was discriminative and an oversight following the Constitutional Amendments of 2017 which repealed age-limit for other offices including that of the president.
During a sitting on 30th September, parliament suspended a rule that requires that a bill should be brought back to the house after 14 days from the day it was published and the requirement that a bill should be sent to the committee for scrutiny for a maximum of 45 days, to consider the amendment before the Commission closes the nomination window.
Local Government Minister Raphael Magyezi told parliament that the law, as it stood, did not allow anyone below 30 and those above 75, to contest for the lower council positions. Magyezi asked the MPs to approve the bill in the same spirit that the Presidential age limit was removed.
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