Reintroduction of councillors electing presidents ‘unfair’

THE reintroduction of councillors electing the local level government (LLG) president is unfair and a hijack of the process, says an outgoing ward member.
Aiya LLG outgoing president Benjamin Randa from the Kagua-Erave, Southern Highlands, said a lot of irregularities had occurred in the election of ward members especially and the recent election of his LLGs presidential election.
“The reintroduction of allowing elected councils to elect the president is an unfair process because the people’s right are being deprived,” he said.
The election is fair when people vote to elect the president because their democratic rights are being exercised fully and the person with majority wins.
“This council president election has been unfair because the elected councillors are using their power to intimidate and bribe people into voting for the person they prefer which is unacceptable.
“It’s not only in Southern Highlands but I believe the same problem was experienced all around the county during this election.”
Randa said the National Government had made a mistake when it changed the process by allowing sitting members of LLG assemblies to elect the council president instead of letting people elect the president.