KAMPALA ,Uganda |The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Nobert Mao has condemned heavy military deployment and involvement in the concluded Kawempe North by election that was marred with violence assault harassment of journalists and voters.

Mao made the remarks while speaking the Uganda Law Society Weekly press briefing ,where he described the events in Kawempe as ”drastic reversal of democracy in the country” and emphasized that the army should stay in its boundaries.

The Minister proposed for a coalition to combat election violence ,allowing everyone to bring their concerns to the table and work towards a national healing, He urged the Uganda Law Society to establish a desk to receive complaints from journalists and others assaulted during the Kawempe North by election.

He however noted that Electoral Commission’s weakness and lack of structures to command security agencies execrated the situation and recalled an incident in Gulu where they had finished voting but several people including the soldiers came up with their own military records and read a name of a person to vote despite the person being deceased.

Mao revealed that he is pushing for electoral reforms including electronic voting to prevent ballot stuffing and proportional representation to reduce the size of the Parliament. He proposed for instance at least 150,000 people should be represented by one Member of Parliament and by doing this given the population of the country and voters Parliament can at least have around 350 legislators. He vowed to take these concerns also before the Human Rights Committee of Cabinet for discussion.

Mao also signed recommendations with stakeholders including journalists civil society and the Police to condemn election brutality and the signatories vowed to promoting peaceful election through education ,advocacy, engagement, supporting victims through legal aid, counselling and other reforms of assistance through robust investigations sanctions and prosecutions.

” We have also committed ourselves to strengthening institutional capacity to prevent and respond to electoral violence including through training and capacity-building for law enforcement ,judiciary and electoral officials” Mao said

Mao advised that they have started plans to mediate the relationships between the Uganda Law Society President Isaac Semakadde and the Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka adding that the he is not pleased with Ssemakadde who he said that he is leading the Society from exile yet he is not an Ambassador

” Once you see me going on plane these days, I will be going to meet the ULS president Isaac Ssemakadde who is leading us from abroad without being an ambassador deliver message from the Attorney General and the chief Justice regarding reconciliation. We must do what we preach on Alternative Dispute Resolution” Mao added.