Other Political Systems Act

Jurisdiction
Uganda
Citation
Chapter 262
Date
31 December 2000
Language
English
Type
Legislation
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Uganda

Other Political Systems Act

Chapter 262

  • Commenced on 25 January 2000
  • [This is the version of this document at 31 December 2000.]
  • [Note: The version of the Act as at 31 December 2000 was revised and consolidated by the Law Reform Commission of Uganda. All subsequent amendments have been researched and applied by Laws.Africa for ULII.]
An Act to make provision for political systems to be proposed in addition to the movement political system and the multiparty political system provided for in article 69 of the Constitution.

Part I — Interpretation

1. Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
(a)"commission" means the Electoral Commission established under article 60 of the Constitution;
(b)"Minister" means the Minister responsible for constitutional affairs;
(c)"national voters register" means the national voters register maintained under section 18 of the Electoral Commission Act;
(d)"registered voter" means a person registered on the national voters register.

Part II — General

2. Acceptance of political systems

No political system shall be accepted as any other democratic and representative political system for the purpose of article 69(2)(c) of the Constitution for being proposed for voting, at a referendum under article 74(1) of the Constitution, or for the purposes of a resolution of Parliament under article 74(2) of the Constitution, unless that political system has, upon a petition, been approved by Parliament before the referendum in question or the parliamentary resolution under article 74(2) of the Constitution.

3. "Any other democratic and representative political system" defined

For the purposes of this Act, "any other democratic and representative political system" shall mean a democratic and representative political system which is different from the movement political system and the multiparty political system within the meaning of articles 70 and 71 of the Constitution respectively.

4. Petitions

A petition for approval of a political system under this Act shall be in the form specified in the Schedule to this Act and shall—
(a)be addressed to the commission;
(b)be brought by a person registered as a voter on the national voters register; and
(c)be supported by not less than one thousand other persons registered as voters on the national voters register.

5. Verification by commission

(1)The commission shall, on receiving a petition under section 4, verify whether the petition has been duly submitted by a registered voter and supported by the requisite number of registered voters for the purposes of section 4.
(2)The commission, upon being satisfied that the petition has been duly submitted in accordance with section 4, shall issue to the Minister a certificate in the prescribed form stating its finding in the matter.
(3)The commission, if not satisfied that the petition has been duly submitted in accordance with section 4, shall notify the petitioner in writing in the prescribed form stating how the petition has failed to comply with section 4; and the petitioner, unless he or she wishes to withdraw the petition, shall take steps to satisfy the commission in respect of compliance with section 4.

6. Action by Minister

The Minister, upon receipt of the petition and certificate of the commission under section 5(2), shall lay the petition and the certificate before Parliament within one month after receiving them or, if Parliament is not sitting, within one month after Parliament commences sitting after that.

7. Action by Parliament

(1)The clerk to Parliament shall prepare a resolution for the approval of the political system described and named in the petition, and the Speaker of Parliament shall cause the resolution to be put to Parliament.
(2)Parliament, in considering the petition in committee, shall allow the petitioner to appear to support approval of the political system and shall, at its discretion, allow others to argue for and against the approval of the system in committee.
(3)In determining if the proposed political system is democratic and representative as required by article 69 of the Constitution, Parliament shall consider whether the proposed system—
(a)empowers and encourages the active participation of all citizens at all levels in their own governance;
(b)provides access for all the people of Uganda to leadership positions at all levels;
(c)provides for the election of a government which shall be broadly representative of the national character and social diversity of the country;
(d)provides for all political and civic organisations aspiring to manage public affairs under the proposed system, including the organs of the political system, to conform to democratic principles in their internal organisation and practice;
(e)differs from existing political systems already accepted in or for the purposes of article 69 of the Constitution.
(4)Where Parliament passes a resolution approving the political system under this section, the clerk to Parliament shall, within fourteen days, forward to the Minister and the commission a copy of the resolution certified by the clerk in the prescribed form.
(5)A resolution by Parliament in support of a petition under this section does not have the effect of approving a political system unless it is supported by the votes of more than one-half of all members of Parliament.

8. Publication

The commission, upon receiving the resolution under section 7, shall within twenty-one days cause it to be published in the Gazette.

9. Regulations

The Minister may, with the approval of Parliament, make regulations for giving full effect to this Act and, in particular, for prescribing anything required or authorised by this Act to be prescribed.

Schedule (Section 4)

Petition for approval of a democratic and representative political system

To the ChairpersonElectoral Commission, Kampala

Petition for approval of the political system as a democratic and representative political system

(Article 69(2)(c) of the Constitution and section 2 of the Other Political Systems Act)

1.The petitioner ________________ is an adult male/female Ugandan of sound mind resident at ________________ who is registered as a voter on the national voters register in ____________ of ____________ district/city.
2.The petitioner proposes that the ____________ political system is democratic and representative for the following reasons—________________________
3.The ____________ political system differs from existing political systems already accepted in or for the purposes of article 69 of the Constitution in that with regard to—the movement political system ____________the multiparty political system ____________the ____________ political system ____________the ____________ political system ____________the ____________ political system ____________the ____________ political system ____________
4.The petitioner certifies the petition and attaches to this petition the signatures of ____________ (not less than one thousand) persons registered as voters on the national voters roll as follows—Name First name Voter registration number Village/Ward, etc. District
5.The petitioner requests the Electoral Commission to certify this petition and to forward it to the Minister responsible for constitutional affairs in accordance with section 2 of the Other Political Systems Act.Signed ____________, PetitionerBefore me, ________________, Commissioner for Oathsthis ________ day of ______________, 20 ________.
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History of this document

25 January 2000
Commences.