THE APPOINTMENT AND COMPOSITION OF THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION VIS-A-VIS ITS INDEPENDENCE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE EXISTING LEGAL FRAMEWORK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................. i

APPROVAL ................................................................................................................................... ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................................................................. v

DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... vi

CHAPTER 0 NE ...... ............ .. ............... .......................... .. .... .. .. .. .... ..... .. ...... ..... .. .... ...................... 1

INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................. I

1.0 Overview ................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Historical Background of the Elections and Electoral Commission ......................................... 2

1.1.1 Constitutional Conference ..................................................................................................... 3

1.1.2 1961 Elections ........................................................................................................................ 3

1.1.3 1962 Elections ........................................................................................................................ 4

1.1.4 Commission for 1964 Referendum on the Lost Counties ...................................................... 4

1.1.5 Commission for General Elections 1980 ............................................................................... 4

1.1.6 The Uganda Constitutional Commission (UCC) ................................................................... 5

1.1. 7 Commission for Constituent Assembly (CCA) ..................................................................... 5

1.1.8 The Interim Electoral Commission (IEC) .............................................................................. 5

1.1. 9 The Electoral Commission (EC) 1997 -todate ........................................................................ 6

1.1.1 0 Electoral Commission 2002-2017 ........................................................................................ 7

1.2 Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................................... 8

1.3 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 8

1.4 Justification of the Study .......................................................................................................... 8

1.5 Literature Review ...................................................................................................................... 9

1.6 Scope ofthe Study .................................................................................................................. 11

CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................ 12

CURRENT LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION ................. 12

2.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 12

2.1 THE CONSTITUTION OF UGANDA .................................................................................. 13

2.2 The Electoral Commission Act. .............................................................................................. 16

2.3 Presidential Elections Act ....................................................................................................... 1 7

2.4 Political Parties and Organization Act. ................................................................................... 19

2.5 Regional Legal Framework ..................................................................................................... 22

2.6 International Legal Framework concerning Elections ............................................................ 24

2. 7 Appointment of Electoral Commission Commissioners ......................................................... 25

2.8 Composition of the Electoral Commission ............................................................................. 26

CHARTER THREE .................................................................................................................... 27

INDEPENDENCE OF THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION ................................................ 27

3.0 Notion oflndependence And Impmiiality .............................................................................. 27

3.1 Financial Status of the Electoral Commission ........................................................................ 28

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3.2 The Relationship between the Electoral Commission and the Executive ............................... 30

3.3 Critique of the Independence of the Electoral Commission ................................................... 30

CHARTER FOUR .................................................................................. 35

CHALLENGES FACED THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION ............................................ 35

4.0 Introduction ................................................................................ 35

4.1 Legal Challenges ........................................................................ 35

4.2 Non Legal Challenges ............................................................... 36

4.2.1 The Voter Register ................................................................ 36

4.2.2 Inadequate funding of the Election .................................................... 37

4.2.3 Voter Education ............................................................................ 37

4.2.4 Difficulty in acquiring Financial Statements of Political Parties by the EC ........................ 38

4.2.4 Corrupt Electoral Commission officials............................................................. 40

4.2.5 Voting Time Delays ............................................................................. 41

4.2.6 Electoral Offences ........................................................................ 41

CHAPTER FIVE ............................................................................. 47

RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION ........................................................................ 47

5.0 Observations ......................................................................... 47

5.1 Recommendations ........................................................................ 48