68% want presidential term limits restored

By DAVID MAFABI & SAMUEL SSEBULIBA

Kampala. A push by opposition and civil society organisations for electoral reforms, especially the demand that presidential term limits be restored, has overwhelming support of the population; a new survey by Research World International has shown.

The opinion poll report commissioned by Uganda Ngo Forum; Citizens perceptions on Uganda’s governance opinion poll 2016 shows that 68 per cent of Ugandans want presidential term limits that were scrapped from the Constitution in 2005 restored.

Asked “Should term limits be reinstated”, 68 per cent of the 2,252 respondents sampled answered “yes” with another 23 per cent responding in the negative while more 44% of the respondents think the president should rule for 10 years and another 34% think the president should rule for only 5 years,”.  Reads the reports in part.

The survey was conducted by Research World International, a research firm, between September and October 2016 using a SPEC Omni-bus survey across Uganda with a sample of 2252 respondents in sixty districts of the country; north, east, west and central.

The Eastern region had the highest number [73%) of respondents indicating a preference for the restoration of term limits, followed by Northern (68% per cent) while Central, 67% per cent of the respondents support for the proposal. And that majority of the respondents were female [52%] and 36% from rural areas.

In terms of age brackets 25 – 34 years, 72 per cent of the respondents are in support of the new proposal, in the age brackets of 15 -24 years 69 percent and between the ages brackets of 35 to 44 years 64% while in the age brackets of 45 to 64 years 62% indicated support for having term limits back.

Parliament in 2005 voted to scrap presidential term limits from the Constitution—just one year before President Museveni was to serve out what was his second and last elective term in office.

The lifting of term limits, which was facilitated with a Shs5 million hand-out to each ruling party MP, gave President Museveni the door to contest for a third term in 2006. He also won a fourth elective term in 2011.

The opinion poll that covered social, economic, political and cultural issues in Uganda reveals that 32 percent of the respondents said the current economic living conditions in the country are very bad and that nothing has changed in the community ever since the 2016 national general elections.

The report says 73% of the respondents interviewed think the constitution shouldn’t be amended for those above 75 years to contest and that 74% say Museveni should retire after his term of 2016 to 2021.

The report further reveals that 50%  of the respondents thinks police is not independent, and 51% think police is not doing its work professionally while another  44% think the Parliament is too big and  72% of the respondents says they have never seen their MPs coming for consultations  in the constituencies.

While presenting the report Dec 13 at Golf course Hotel in Kampala, the executive director RWI Dr Patrick Wakida said that the report covered a sizable number of Uganda, with face to face interviews.

Dr Wakida added the report further reflects that people are well informed about the current political affairs including knowing their area member of parliaments, they know their roles, but the size of 72% who have never seen their members coming for consultation must be given a special attention moving forward.

‘Now we are asking ourselves, where do they get all what they debate in parliament since they don’t interface with their electorates?’’  Wakida said.

The executive director NGO forum Mr Richard Sewakiryanga said that the report is a pure representative of the current status of Uganda in all spheres but added that crucifying legislators for not consulting their electorates is too early since they have just spent less than seven months in parliament.

“But the complaints from voters serve as a reminder to legislators that voters are not happy,” said Mr Sewakiryanga.

Mr Asuman Basalirwa, the JEEMA Party President said that many Ugandans are still pessimistic and uncertain about the economy of Uganda and their household income because government has simply run out of options.

The Special Presidential Assistant - Research and Information Mr Morison Rwakakamba said that the 74% people who want Mr Museveni to retire after his last term are mainly in Kampala, yet NRM power mainly lies in rural area.

The director communications at Parliament Mr Chris Obore said if 44% of Ugandans are not happy with the size of parliament, they can work it out with their political parties to have it trimmed.

“I know also that many MPs are on ground on daily basis, so the statement that 74% people who have never seen their legislators is not true. And contrary to this many MPs are in their villages, they have ambulances that ferry the sick to various health units, attend burials, what   form of consultation do they want? Do they want political rallies? said Mr Mr Obore.

The minister for ICT Mr Frank Tumweza described the report as misleading and diverting Ugandans from the real issues affecting them.

“I have not seen the report but what does it tell us about people’s purchasing power, it is increasing or decreasing? Researchers should stop misguiding people, you don’t measure the economy by asking people how they are doing economically but rather what the people’s purchasing power is,” said Mr Tumwebaze.

He explained that between September and October, there was a general increase in the purchasing power of the individuals in the economy and this determined how individuals were doing economically in the economy and that this a characteristic relationship with the economy.

“Actually economists are fearing that the month of December there is likely to be a lot od spending due to Christmas, where is this money going to come from if the economy is not doing well? We should actually tell our people to rethink their expenditure this month,” Ends