By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
National Resistance Movement electoral commission chairperson, Dr. Tanga Odoi has called on all aspirants for the Kisoro district woman member of parliament seat to start pick expression of interest forms ahead of the by-election.
The seat fell vacant after the incumbent, state minister for defense, Hon. Sarah Mateke Nyirabashitsi died suddenly on September 7, 2024.
“In line with Article 39(10)(a) of the NRM constitution, the NRM electoral commission thereby calls for expression of interest of picking forms the nomination forms for NRM primaries for the member of parliament, Kisoro district woman representative by election, 2024,” said Tanga.
According to Dr. Tanga Odoi, the elections will also cover the district woman councilor for the south division, the municipal male older person’s councilor in the Northern division, and councilor for persons with disability who died in the same district.
“We are replacing those who have died. The one for Honourable Saraha Mateke was unfortunate and the one for the older persons in Kosoro was an aged person,” he said.
The deadline for submission of the expression of interest forms is September 30, 2024, according to Dr. Tanga.
Section 3 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, 2005 (as amended) states the condition for the by election of the members of parliament in Uganda as; Whenever a member of Parliament (a)dies; or (b) where the seat of a member of Parliament becomes vacant under article 83 of the Constitution; or (c) where the seat of a member becomes vacant under section 4.
According to this Act, whenever a vacancy occurs in Parliament, the Clerk to Parliament is mandated to notify the Electoral Commission in writing within ten (10) days after the vacancy has arisen. Following this notification, a by-election is then organized and held within sixty days after the Electoral Commission has received notice of the vacancy from the Clerk to Parliament.
In a scenario where a seat of an MP is declared vacant by the Court, the Registrar of the Court is mandated to transmit to the Clerk to Parliament a copy of the Judgment of the Court within ten (10) days after the declaration. The Clerk then notifies the Electoral Commission in writing of the vacancy within (10) ten days after receiving the judgment from the Registrar.
It should be noted that the by-election can not be held within six (6) months before the holding of a general election of Parliament. This means that if a seat becomes vacant six (6) months towards the general election, a by-election cannot be held but instead, electorates wait for the general election of parliament to fill up the vacant seat.
Parrots Media has learned that the clerk to parliament has already notified the electoral commission about the vacant position of Kisoro district woman MP. EC is yet to issue an official communication regarding dates for conducting this by election.
