The Ministry of Finance has poured cold water on frantic appeals from various circles for the government to find funding for Local Council (LC) elections urgently.
The media has been awash with calls for a Shs59 billion supplementary fund for the Electoral Commission (EC) to successfully conduct Local Council and women council elections for officials whose term ended on Monday, July 10.
However, the ministry spokesperson Jim Mugunga has told Daily Monitor that according to established guidelines, a supplementary budget is intended for unforeseen expenditures and that elections do not qualify under this category.
This comes on the third day of a power vacuum at critical village and parish level with no chairpersons and committees.
It also comes after the Minister for Local Government, Raphael Magyezi yesterday assured Parliament and the entire country that government is doing all it takes to conduct Local Council One elections.
Minister Magyezi told parliament last evening that his office was in close consultations with the Attorney General, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Gender, and the Electoral Commission to ensure the elections are scheduled and conducted.
He also promised to have a comprehensive report on the matter tabled before Parliament on Thursday next week.
