The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Kahinda Otafiire has blamed Ministry of Finance for delaying to release funds to facilitate the process of reviewing the constitution.
His Ministry wants Shs13bn for this exercise.
Otafiire made the revelation today during a meeting between his Ministry and MPs on Committee of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, where his team had appeared to present their 2019/2020 National Budget Framework Paper.
“We are ready but our colleagues in finance aren’t. Just ask them why they haven’t given us money. If they were to give me money, I would even start tomorrow,” Otafiire said.
This was after the Committee Chairperson, Jacob Oboth tasked the Minister to reveal when the Ministry was to embark on the constitutional and electoral reforms.
Late last year, President Yoweri Museveni named the Constitutional Review Committee.
Asked how much money was needed for the constitutional review, Byakusaaga Bishobye from Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs said: “We need Shs13bn but it couldn’t be accommodated in the budget because the ceiling can’t accommodate, but we have written three times to the Ministry of Finance. It is a priority and we have details of the same because we want to have certificate of financial implication.”
Oboth also asked Otafiire when Government intends to table the electoral reforms to Parliament given the fact that there is a supreme court ruling that required the amendments to have been brought within two and half years before the 2021 general elections.
“Electoral roadmap is out; even Supreme Court made a decision that we need to have electoral reforms within two years. We are going for another election. Do you want to stampede parliament at the last minute?” Oboth asked.
Otafiire said some of the amendments require review of the constitution. “The constitutional review commission is ready, it is only financing that is remaining. Everything is ready except finance,” he emphasized.
In a related development, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has ordered Otaffire to provide a statement on when they intend to table the electoral reforms as had been highlighted in the 2016 election petition by former premier, Amama Mbabazi.
In her communication to the August House this afternoon, Kadaga said that for the last two sessions, she has been appealing to the Government to bring the necessary legislation so as to allow Parliament handle the reforms, but despite this, the Ministry of Justice has remained silent on the issue of electoral reforms.
“No response has been given. Obviously I think they expect as usual to stampede this House. Sometimes in that stampede, we may not make perfect laws but it shows that they don’t respect this House, so even when we say bring, they aren’t interested,” Kadaga said.
She added: “…They don’t know that it is the Government which was directed to do certain reforms so I have to keep answering the same question and one which isn’t asked is Government. So please do the needful. So I now direct the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to come here on Tuesday 22nd January 2019 and advise us about the process of electoral reforms so that we can work out our legislative program for the remaining period of the 10th Parliament.”
