Law to be altered for people to elect LLG presidents: Isifu

By Rebecca Kuku
THE law will be amended after this year’s local-level government elections to allow people to elect their own presidents, Inter-Government Relations Minister Kevin Isifu says.
He told The National that currently, ward councillors elected the LLG presidents at their respective assemblies.
Isifu told The National that changes to the legislation on the election of LLG presidents would be made after the elections “to avoid confusion”.
“The LLG presidents will (this year) be voted in by the ward councillors and not by the people,” he said.
“We will review the legislation to allow people to elect their LLG presidents.
“That will happen in the next LLG election.”
Electoral Commission media adviser Alphonse Muapi said the amendments would be done later because public awareness needed to be carried out first.
Muapi said the commission was also not ready for the change.
“If we allow the people to vote for their LLG presidents, we would have to print ballot papers for the election – which requires time and planning,” he said.
“We have taken into consideration the different cultures and societies, and that each province is different from another.
“So provinces will choose how they can elect in their council presidents. We will allow provinces to choose whether their presidents are elected by the people or by the ward councillors.”