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[Monitor] Finance minister Matia Kasaija was last night on the defensive following accusations that he irregularly dangled a top government job to secure the exit of his opponent in a parliamentary contest.
\t On Friday, internet and international calls were cut off across the West African nation in anticipation of the election results, according to locals and international observers in the capital, Conakry.
\t This was the third time that Conde matched-up against Diallo. Before the election, observers raised concerns that an electoral dispute could reignite ethnic tensions between Guinea's largest ethnic groups.
Malawi's parliament has endorsed June 23 as the date for the presidential election re-run after a court annulled last year's vote over irregularities, a lawmaker says.
The National Assembly and the Senate have differed over the number of persons to be appointed to a panel that will fill four vacancies at the electoral agency.
External budget support
From the external sources, Mr Kasaija projects that Shs2.9 trillion will come from budget support and another Shs9.6trillion will come from project support.
Budget support is a method of financing the budget through a transfer of resources from an external financing agency to the partner government's national treasury.
The government intends to fund the budget by 72.5 per cent while 27.5 per cent will come from the external pool.
Traditionally, Mr Mugunga explained that donors have provided aid either through the financing of specific projects (project aid), which often involved direct participation in their design and implementation, or through providing support to the recipient government's budget (conditional budget support) while imposing conditionality on how to allocate the available resources.
Parliament has already noted with concern that the country's total domestic revenue (inclusive of Local Government Revenue) in the 2020/21 financial year accounts for only 48.2 per cent of the projected resource envelope, leaving the country with unsolved shortfalls.
In a bid to get the Ugandan economy moving again after nearly three months of lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, the government on June 11 presented a budget offering a host of tax waivers and funding for the business community.
The plan to boost economic recovery seeks to support the agriculture sector for food security and export, make credit accessible to small businesses, give tax holidays to firms and put money directly into people's pockets.
According to Finance Minister Matia Kasaija, the county's Ush45 trillion ($12 billion) budget for the 2020/2021 financial year is aimed at \"stimulating the economy to safeguard livelihoods, jobs, businesses and industrial recovery in the wake of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.\"
According to Mr Kasaija, the government will roll out interventions to increase agricultural production to ensure food security and expand regional food exports, a move it hopes will restore demand for agricultural produce which will in turn restore jobs and other non-farm incomes.
To further address the short-term liquidity requirements of businesses in the tourism, manufacturing, horticulture and floriculture sectors, the government will defer payment of Corporate Income Tax or presumptive tax for tax compliant corporations and SMEs with a turnover of less than Ush500 million ($133 million) per annum with no accumulation of interests and penalties.
Uganda’s Electoral Commission announced on Tuesday that it will push ahead with organising the scheduled February 2021 General Election.
Amidst uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic, the Commission banned mass gatherings and directed parties and candidates to use various media platforms to reach out to voters.
He said the new roadmap was problematic because of a history of partiality by the Electoral Commission in favour of the incumbent, and the failure to appreciate internal processes the party has to undertake to arrive at flag bearers.
While Uganda has a number of privately-owned FM radio and TV stations, the majority are owned by politicians who are members of the ruling National Resistance Movement party or people friendly to the party, who will not grant opposition members access to campaign on their platforms.
The Electoral Commission was faulted in a Supreme Court ruling on the 2016 elections for its failure to ensure state media gave candidates equal access.
Candidates seeking electoral positions in Uganda's general election due early next year will have to conduct their campaigns without physical contact as dictated by Covid-19 social and physical distancing, the Electoral Commission has announced.
The commission, which released a new roadmap of electoral activities, has set November 2 and 3, 2020 as nomination dates for Presidential candidates.
NO POSTPONING ELECTION
Article 61(2) of the Constitution provides that the \"Electoral Commission shall hold general presidential, parliamentary and local government council elections within the first thirty days of the last ninety days before the expiration of the term of the President.\"
Responding to questions about calls for postponing the election to give all candidates a fair chance in light of the Covid-19 disruption, Mr Byabakama said, \"The option of postponing the election has not even occurred to us as a commission because it is not in our mandate.
Mr Byabakama added that the commission's mandate is limited only to state (public) media which is required to give equal space to all presidential candidates.
President Museveni has written to the Public Service Commission (PSU) nominating Dorothy Kisaka as the new Kampala Capital City Authority executive director.
If vetted and cleared by the PSU, Kisaka will replace Andrew Kitaka the current acting KCCA director whose contract extension expires next week on June 18.
Kitaka's contract was extended in December 2019 for a further six months and has been acting KCCA executive director since December 2018 after being appointed by then Kampala minister Beti Kamya following the resignation of Jennifer Musisi.
Museveni in his letter to the PSU also nominated Eng David Luyimbazi Ssali as deputy executive director, Dr Daniel Okello Ayen as director public health and environment, Sarah Kanyike as director gender, community services and production and Grace Akullo as human resource and administration.
Museveni said the five nominees were headhunted because of their integrity, he nevertheless he asked PSU to interview them and find out if they are suitable for the KCCA positions.
A High Court in the Ugandan capital Kampala earlier this week ruled that the president had the right to decide who follows him on social media platform Twitter.
The court presided over by Justice Andrew Bashaija held that even though personal Twitter handles could be used for official communication by a public official, it remained an individual and private property.
A Ugandan national living in the diaspora, Hillary Innocent Taylor Seguya, took the president and two other public officials to court for blocking him on Twitter.
“The President is a public officer and a holder of a Twitter social media platform handle @KagutaMuseveni and there is no other official handle for his office.
He opened the Twitter handle when he was holding the office of the President and he has since been using it in his official and not in private capacity,” the petitioner’s suit read in part.
The Electoral Commission (EC) yesterday conducted a pilot voters' registration exercise at the Accra Ridge Church to test its Biometric Verification Systems for the upcoming December polls.
The pilot was to ascertain the durability of the equipment towards a successful registration exercise scheduled for June 30.
The prospective voters spent about five minutes to go through the electoral processes at either of the two registration centres mounted at the premises, with a maximum of 20 voters observing COVID-19 precautionary measures and hygienic protocols.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Times, the Public Relations Officer of the Commission, Sylvia Annoh said the exercise was smooth and was to ensure the commission identified any challenges that might occur during the actual registration and find ways of addressing them before and during the exercise.
She explained that the registration officers did not encounter any challenges during the processes or the equipment breaking down, saying, \"We are adhering to the protocols to ensure no one got infected with the virus.\"
As Covid-19 cases continue to rise, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng on Wednesday, hinted on the possibility of the country being placed under another lockdown over what is perceived as complacency by the public in the fight against the spread of the virus.
Efforts to reach Minister Aceng to clarify on her comments were futile but but State Minister for Health, Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, said total lockdown is a possibility, but many people do not seem to appreciate the need for such a move.
\"At first, it was about the truck drivers, but the problem now is infection of the people in the communities,\" Dr Moriku said.
Arua Municipality MP Kassiano Ezati Wadri agrees that it would be necessary for the country to go back into lockdown if the virus spreads in the communities, but hastens to add that this time round government should be using the lockdown to increase preparedness of the health sector to deal with the virus and other medical challenges.
The Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) has been suffering shortages of essential testing kits for the virus since May, a situation which government blamed on increasing number of truck drivers, limited supply from foreign manufacturers and delays in movement of cargo.
With popular frustrations running high, and opposition leader Agathon Rwasa warning that he will not accept a \"stolen\" election, fears are mounting that a contested poll could lead to violence along the lines of what the country saw in 2015, when Nkurunziza's controversial bid for a third term prompted street protests, a failed coup, a crackdown and the exodus of over 400,000 people.
It now also appears that the EAC will be unable to send an observation team in time for the elections; Burundi's authorities have cited the COVID-19 outbreak as a reason to quarantine the observers for fourteen days upon arrival, though it is unclear whether the decision was genuinely made for legitimate public health reasons, given that the government has otherwise played down the outbreak.
Ruling-party nominee Ndayishimiye and long-time opposition leader Rwasa, who both fought as rebels in Burundi's 1993-2005 civil war, are the clear front runners, and emblematic of the former fighters' continued influence in national politics.
They say Nkurunziza, who pushed for the selection of his ally Pascal Nyabenda, the president of the National Assembly (the lower chamber of Burundi's parliament), only agreed to Ndayishimiye's candidacy after intense lobbying by generals.
While Rwasa has announced that he will not allow the election to be \"stolen\", CNDD-FDD officials believe that their party structures and ability to register and mobilise voters across the country cannot but deliver victory.
[Monitor] Presidential hopeful Rtd Gen Henry Tumukunde has warned whoever is behind his continuous arrests which he says are aimed at making him lose hope about making change in the governance of Uganda.
[Monitor] President Museveni has directed the Covid-19 National Taskforce to discuss reopening of schools across the country in a phased manner starting with candidate classes.
Democratic Republic of Congo: President Tshisekedi reneges on justice pledge, leaving victims in despair
\tPresident Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo has reneged on his inauguration pledges to strengthen the rule of law, fight impunity and ensure justice, leaving the families of hundreds of people killed during the country’s pre-election crisis in despair, Amnesty International said today.
“President Tshisekedi and his government must acknowledge the pain that victims and their families have been enduring and publicly commit to promptly and effectively prosecute those responsible,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa.
Victims of 2015-2018 brutal crackdowns denied justice in the DRC, Amnesty International interviewed 115 survivors and victims’ family members, on their quest for justice.
Farcical investigations
\tUnder international pressure, former President Joseph Kabila constituted three committees to investigate the deadly crackdowns on protestors, none of which have resulted in any prosecutions.
A second committee created in February 2018 investigated the use of deadly force against protestors on 31 December 2017 and 21 January 2018, recommending prosecution of security officers who ordered or used excessive force against protestors.
Among the new cases, 19 are truck drivers from Elegu, Malaba, Busia and Mutukula border points.
The other 13 are contacts from previously confirmed truck drivers and 'alerts', according to a statement released by the health ministry on Tuesday.
Despite knowing the risk, President Museveni has continously insisted on having truck drivers coming into the country, arguing that stopping cargo from coming in would be a very grave mistake.
In this case, foreign truck drivers who test positive for the virus are then handed over to their respective country authorities while the Ugandans are immediately taken for treatment.
While addressing the nation on Monday to guide on the way forward, President Museveni reiterated on the need for calm in regard to the truck drivers who are seemingly the new epicentre of the soaring Covid-19 cases in Uganda.
\"The relationship between Uganda and Rwanda is beyond normal state to state relations.
The relationship between Uganda and Rwanda is beyond normal state to state relations.
But during the Luanda summit in February, it was agreed that the two nations release prisoners being held in their countries, refrain from interference in each other's affairs, protect the Human rights of citizens of both Uganda and Rwanda and continuation of the activities of the Ad-Hoc commission, as a mechanism for monitoring the implementation of the process.
Kagame sacks minister
Across the border, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame recently dismissed from Cabinet, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, the country's Foreign Affairs Minister who Ugandan observers felt was undermining the relationship between the two countries.
President Museveni on April 27 exercised the powers given to him under article 121 of the 1995 Constitution to pardon 833 prisoners around the country - including Rwandans.
There will be no extension of the presidential mandate under the cover of coronavirus in the Central African Republic.
This was the final verdict issued by the constitutional court in Bangui, ending a wrangle between the ruling party and the opposition last week.
The government had intended to continue its mandate due to the prevailing coronavirus outbreak arguing that the country will not be ready to hold an election by the end of the year.
A Bangui resident said he was shocked by the decision: “This verdict surprised us because we thought that the constitutional court should give a favorable verdict to those who initiated this project in partial modification of the constitution going in the direction of the extension of the mandate of the president of the republic and that of the MPs.”
A number of African countries are expected to hold elections later this year.
Malawi's governing party has called for a third presidential election, citing irregularities and intimidation in this week's re-run vote as unofficial tallies show incumbent President Peter Mutharika losing to the opposition leader.
Voters in the southern African country went to the polls on Tuesday for the second time in 13 months after the Constitutional Court scrapped the initial May 2019 presidential election over mass fraud.
The governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) called on Friday on the electoral commission to annul the results collated so far of the second vote and declare a third poll.
DPP administrative secretary Francis Mphepo said in a statement: \"We wish to highlight several incidents that may potentially affect the integrity and credibility of the presidential election results.\"
In February, Malawi's top court found the election was marred by widespread irregularities, including the use of correction fluid to tamper with result sheets.
[Monitor] At least 1.2 million learners are to return to school in Uganda next month after President Museveni on Sunday said his government had decided to further relax Covid-19 restrictions.
Financial experts have warned those pushing for a 20 percent pay out of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) savings to its members to cushion them against the Covid-19 economic shocks.
Mr Martin Nsubuga, the chief executive officer, Uganda Retirements Benefits Regulatory Authority warned that globally, it's only Austria that has temporary lent out its equivalent of NSSF savings to its members in the Covid-19 lockdown with expectations paying back.
\"No country in the world has paid out its NSSF savings to its members to rescue them in this Covid-19 pandemic lockdown because it's unrealistic.
The warning by Mr Nsubuga was echoed by the NSSF managing director, Mr Richard Byarugaba who insisted that it's a bad idea to respond to the chorus calls by the public and politicians by paying out the 20 percent as this would cause inflation.
Mr Rwakakamba is, among other orders, seeking court to compel the Fund to pay its members at least 20 percent of their savings to cushion them from the economic shocks caused by Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown.
Parliament — Barely two months after Parliament passed a Shs932b supplementary budget, another Shs33.3b was yesterday provided for the government by three ministries before the end of Financial Year 2019/20.
In the last supplementary budget, key appropriations included Shs284b Covid-19 fighting cash that went to different government Ministries, departments and Agencies deemed to be on the frontline of fighting the pandemic; and Shs400b for defence classified expenditure.
In the current supplementary budget, MPs approved recommendations of the Budget Committee chaired by Ntenjeru North MP Amos Lugoloobi to provide for Shs10b to finance the maintenance of roads under Kampala Capital City Authority.
The UIRI facility, which was commissioned by President Museveni last year, was established by the government to enhance industrial skills by providing platforms for hands-on training and apprenticeship, engage in modern methods of machining and manufacturing of metalic parts, accessories and implements; and creating capacity for development of indigenous technologies and reduce technology import bill.
Responding to questions raised by MPs during time of debate of the supplementary expenditure on why the Shs10b for UIRI cannot wait for the new financial year, Mr Lugoloobi said there was need for money to make the facility operational.
Uganda will go ahead with its planned re-opening of the country despite recording more than 150 Covid-19 cases in three days, according to President Yoweri Museveni.
In an address to the nation on Monday evening, President Museveni said that public transport will resume but with necessary health and safety measures in place.
\"For the next 21 days, no private or public transport is allowed in the border districts.
Meanwhile, Uganda on Tuesday recorded 32 new Covid-19 cases raising the national tally to 489.
\"Nineteen of the new confirmed cases are from 1,693 samples from points of entry while 13 are from 423 samples of contacts and alerts,\" the Health Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Electoral authorities in Guinea on Saturday declared President Alpha Conde winner of Sunday's election with 59.49% of the vote, defeating his main rival Cellou Diallo.
\t Some people went to the streets to protest immediately after the announcement. Such demonstrations have occurred for months after the government changed the constitution through a national referendum, allowing Conde to extend his decade in power.
\t Opposition candidate Cellou Diallo received 33.50% of the vote, the electoral commission said. Voter turnout was almost 80%.
\t Political tensions in the West African nation turned violent in recent days after Diallo claimed victory ahead of the official results. Celebrations by his supporters were suppressed when security forces fired tear gas to disperse them.
They accuse the electoral authorities of rigging the vote for incumbent president Alpha Conde.
\t At least nine people have been killed since the election, according to the government. The violence sparked international condemnation by the U.S. and others.
\t ``Today is a sad day for African democracy,'' said Sally Bilaly Sow, a Guinean blogger and activist living abroad. The government should take into account the will of the people who have a desire for change, he said.
ICC warning
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor warned on Friday that warring factions in Guinea could be prosecuted after fighting erupted.
“I wish to repeat this important reminder: anyone who commits, orders, incites, encourages and contributes in any other way to crimes … is liable to prosecution either by the Guinean courts or the ICC,” she said.
#ICC Prosecutor #FatouBensouda: "I wish to repeat this important reminder: anyone who commits, orders, incites, encourages or contributes, in any other way, to the commission of #RomeStatute crimes, is liable to prosecution either by #Guinean courts or by the #ICC."
— Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) October 23, 2020
[RFI] At least three people have been killed and several others wounded on the streets of Guinea's capital Conakry after main opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo declared himself the winner of Sunday's presidential election.
Two men have been arrested for allegedly creating a Facebook account in the names of the Commissioner General of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Mr John Musinguzi Rujoki.
URA said Wednesday that the fake account was being used in an attempt to defraud the public through false promises of jobs and business opportunities with URA.
\"Investigations have unearthed these two individuals and useful potential exhibits including seven used sim cards, four unused sim cards and six original National Identification cards have been recovered from them,\" Mr Ian Rumanyika URA's manager corporate affairs said.
\"A complainant who commenced interactions on April 27, 2020 with this \"fake\" Facebook account in an attempt to reach out to the Commissioner General was instead alarmed when the fraudsters running the fake account promised him a contract with URA for a kick-back of Shs 10, 000,000,\" he added.
So we have dispersed them, that URA crowd,\" Mr Museveni said.
Malawi's parliament has endorsed June 23 as the date for the presidential election re-run after a court annulled last year's vote over irregularities, a lawmaker said.
The election had handed President Peter Mutharika a second term, but with just 38.5% of the vote.
Legally parliament had to validate the new polling date.
He said the court ruling \"clearly states that parliament must set a date for the elections\".
Meantime, a new electoral commission was sworn-in on Tuesday to organise the new vote, after the top court also ordered an investigation into the conduct of the previous one.
A cloud of corruption hangs over the head of Public Service Commission director-general Dovhani Mamphiswana.
[Monitor] Kampala -- Uganda has missed its target to become a Middle Income country, according to rankings released by the World Bank.
