Parliament of Uganda
Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 May 2012 15:19 Written by Communications Intern Monday, 14 June 2010 14:15
Background
The current Parliament of Uganda was inaugurated in May 2006. It is the third democratically elected Parliament since 1966, when the independence Constitution was abrogated and the independence Parliament dissolved. The Parliament of Uganda and AWEPA first signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2001, which was renewed in 2005 and will be renewed again in 2011.
The project purpose of AWEPA’s Parliamentary Support Programme 2009 - 2011 is an improved performance of the Ugandan Parliament in its functions of oversight, representation and legislation.
Objectives
AWEPA's Parliamentary Support Programme focused on the following specialised areas in 2010:
• Enhancing knowledge and expertise of Members of Parliament and staff to operate effectively in a multi-party Parliament;
• Improving parliamentary legislative, administrative and infrastructural support services to enable members to legislate and perform the oversight function more effectively, resulting in better utilisation of public sector resources;
• Strengthening Parliament’s representative capacity through external linkages and partnership with various stakeholders to foster sustainable development; and,
• Increasing parliamentary engagement in nation building, peacemaking, conflict management and resolution, and in spreading democratic governance.
Results
In 2010 the AWEPA programme in Uganda focused on pending legislation, policies and staff training to enhance institutionalization of Parliament. As a result, some legislation was amended, user manuals were made and a parliamentary hand book was revised.
• After a two-day workshop that consulted and reviewed the draft Pensions Act 2007, the Act was finalised and passed by Parliament on 28 October 2010.
• Training on accountability and financial oversight resulted in the drafting of an accountability analysis manual for the Library and Research department. The manual has since been distributed to the different users.
• The Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Bill was assented to by the President of Uganda on 17 March 2010 in response to AWEPA activities held in 2009.
Donors
Six development partners have established a basket fund in support of the Deepening Democracy Programme in Uganda:
Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
The goal of the DDP is to contribute to improved democratic governance in Uganda. Its purpose is on the one hand to increase informed, active, pluralistic participation of Uganda’s citizens in the political process. On the other hand, the DDP aims to build the capacity of institutions critical in promoting public participation and in holding the state accountable to the people’s needs and concerns. The DDP has five components: enhancing the integrity of elections, institutionalizing an effective multi-party political system, strengthening parliamentary autonomy and oversight, encouraging more active and participatory civic engagement and strengthening a free media to promote accountability.
