Government and politics Last elections: February 2011 (presidential and parliamentary) Next elections: 2016 (presidential and parliamentary) Head of State: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Head of Government: the President Ruling party: National Resistance Movement Amid growing support for political pluralism, from within and without the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), a law enacted in June 2002 restricted party political activities to Kampala, barred civil servants and members of the security forces from joining parties other than NRM, and gave parties six months to register as a company, which the main parties immediately refused to do. However, during 2003 President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni publicly committed himself to the reintroduction of multiparty politics before the elections due in 2006, subject to a referendum in July 2005, in which, with the opposition calling for a boycott, fewer than 50 per cent of voters turned out to vote overwhelmingly in favour. In 2004 Museveni announced that he had retired from the army, while remaining army commander-in-chief. This opened the way for him to participate in multiparty politics. During 2005 the government proposed substantial change to the constitution including lifting the limit of two presidential terms. In November 2005 Museveni said he would stand in the 2006 election, and his main rival Besigye was charged with treason and terrorism and taken into custody. Besigye was then released on bail in January 2006 and held some political rallies. In the first multiparty elections for 25 years, held in February 2006, Museveni (with 59.3 per cent of the votes) defeated Dr Kizza Besigye (37.4 per cent) of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in a turnout of 69 per cent. The ruling NRM also won the parliamentary elections, securing 206 seats, while the FDC took 37, the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) nine, the Democratic Party (DP) eight and independents 37. The Commonwealth observer group present, led by former President of Botswana Sir Ketumile Masire, believed that the election had enabled the will of the people to be expressed and that the result reflected the wishes of those who were able to vote. Museveni won the February 2011 presidential election with 68.4 per cent of the votes cast and his main rival, Besigye, secured 26.0 per cent. The concurrent parliamentary elections were won by the ruling NRM, with a total of 250 of the 375 seats in the enlarged Parliament. The FDC took 34 seats, the DP 12, the UPC ten and independents 42. A Commonwealth observer group led by Dame Billie Miller, the former deputy Prime Minister of Barbados, was present at the elections. Ug a n d a Local government Ministry: Local Government Association: Uganda Local Governments Association; Urban Authorities Association of Uganda Local government is provided for by the Local Governments Act 1997, and it is enshrined in Chapter XI of the constitution. The Ministry of Local Government is responsible for local government, which comprises 111 district councils sitting at the apex of a five-tier structure. Other tiers comprise (1) county and municipal councils; (2) sub-county and town councils; (3) parish councils; and (4) village and ward councils. Local elections are held every five years. Local government has revenue-raising powers, and collects property taxes, licences and fees, as well as receiving the bulk of its revenue from national government. Local authorities are responsible for environmental protection and local transport in partnership with national government, while the authorities have sole responsibility in the district for economic development, public health, education and social welfare, some aspects of which are devolved on the lower tiers. National development plan The National Vision Framework expresses the long-term aspirations of the Ugandan people for independence, growth and continuous improvement towards becoming a middle-income country by the middle of this century. Governance institutions Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 295 Electoral Commission: www.ec.or.ug Parliament of Uganda: www.parliament.go.ug Judiciary: www.judicature.go.ug National Planning Authority: www.npa.ug Inspectorate of Government: www.igg.go.ug Anti-Corruption Coalition: www.accu.or.ug Office of the President: www.statehouse.go.ug Ministry of Local Government: molg.go.ug Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development: www.finance.go.ug Uganda Local Governments Association: www.ulga.org Bank of Uganda: www.bou.or.ug Uganda Securities Exchange: www.use.or.ug National Bureau of Standards: www.unbs.go.ug Capital Markets Authority: www.cmauganda.co.ug Insurance Regulatory Authority: www.ira.go.ug Communications Commission: www.ucc.co.ug Electricity Regulatory Authority: www.era.or.ug
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