Published as part of the project: "Action for Strengthening Good Governance and Accountability in Uganda" by the Uganda office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Good governance and accountability are principles whose application is essential to achieving true democracy and the development of the country. Similarly, KAS not only acknowledges but also highly welcomes the fact that democracy, good governance and accountability are priorities that are clearly set out in Uganda's National Development Plan.
Realizing true democracy, good governance and accountability will require higher levels of citizen participation, improved civic education and promotion of greater awareness and appreciation of democratic principles by leaders (and citizens) especially at the local level. It is precisely on this premise that the project: "Action for Strengthening Good Governance and Accountability" was designed by KAS and our partner - Action for Development (ACFODE). Therefore, this guide is designed to serve as a simplified tool for use by civic educators and elected leaders to understand the concepts of democracy, good governance, and accountability.
This guide attempts to define the core concepts and principles of democratic governance and accountability. This section concludes with a discussion of the concepts of good governance and accountability, as well as the role of civil society and civil action in a democracy.
UNDERSTANDING DEMOCRACY
- Democracy: Definition and Origin
- Main Characteristics and Features of Democracy
- Types of Democracy
- Principles of Modern Democratic Rule
- Democratic Institutions and Actors
- Democracy as a Value
- Citizens in a Democracy
A system of government that protects the rights and interests of minorities by establishing checks on the power of the majority. A system of governance that serves the interests of the people regardless of their participation in political office. As such, the bill of rights aims to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens by ensuring that this protection is included in the constitution of a particular country.
Legislation: As representatives of the people, the legislators are vested with the power to make laws on behalf of the citizens. This makes the laws binding because legislators perform this function on behalf of the people, which means that the people themselves make their laws. It is for the same reason that the concept of checks and balances is used when looking at the three arms of government, particularly parliament which must scrutinize and supervise the activities of the executive and the judiciary.
Control of Policy Making: The key function of the political executive, as mentioned above, is to direct and control the policy process and policy implementation. At the policy level, it is the executive's ability to mobilize support that ensures compliance and cooperation from the general public. Even where the environment is conducive to the success of democracy, it must become an essential part of the people's culture.
Department of State, Democracy is a Debate: Civic Engagement in Old and New Democracies (Joint Publication of the US Department of State and Connecticut College, 1997).
ELEMENTS OF A DEMOCRATIC STATE AND SOCIETY
- Political Pluralism
- Democratic Participation
- Representation
- Elections
- Rule of Law
- Human Rights and Individual Freedoms
- Political Leadership
- Good Governance and Accountability
- Civil Society and Civic Action in a Democracy
This popular authority is exercised by a select few on behalf of the masses (principle of deputation). The people, as the ultimate master, remain the final judge of the performance of the government and its deputies (principle of responsibility). Since the ideal in a democracy is to obtain the consent and mandate of citizens so that any leader is accepted as legitimate, the participation of citizens in choosing their leaders is important.
As a result, elections have become one of the yardsticks to measure how democratic a country is. At the same time, the protection of the ballot box and the vote count must be. Regardless of who wins, both sides must agree to work together to solve society's common problems.
The rule of law31 is thus a core democratic principle, embodying ideas such as constitutionalism, which is the practice of the rule of law and limited government. Democratic governments exercise authority through law and are themselves subject to the limitations of law. Department of State, Democracy is a Discussion: Citizen Engagement in Old and New Democracies (a joint publication of the Department of State and Connecticut College, 1997), 19.
The citizens of a democracy submit to the law because they recognize that they submit, however indirectly, to themselves as makers of the law. When a government harms someone without following the exact course of the law, there is a violation of due process, which is contrary to the rule of law. These instruments oblige the government to protect citizens from human rights violations and also limit the government's ability to interfere with the rights of the individual.
It is participatory by letting the masses be part of the decision-making process. It is for these reasons that democracy and good governance are often used interchangeably, as one seems to extol the virtues of the other. Administrative accountability mechanisms include offices in agencies or ministries and practices within administrative processes designed to ensure that the decisions and actions of public officials are consistent with the interests of citizens.
Department of State, Democracy is a Debate: Civic Engagement in Democracies Old and New (A joint publication of the US State Department and Connecticut College, 1997), 27. Limit and control state power by controlling and monitoring leaders politics, state officials and institutions;
DEMOCRACY IN UGANDA
- Brief Historical Background
- The Ugandan Political System
- Decentralisation and Local Government in Uganda
- Elections in Uganda
Following the confirmation of the existing system in the first referendum in 2000 and Museveni's re-election in 2001, a second referendum in 2005 saw the abolition of the movement system. Developing targeted programs to improve the political and economic quality of the civilian population; In the Ugandan presidential system of government, the president serves as head of state, head of government and simultaneously as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
According to the constitution, the cabinet consists of the president, the vice president and a number of ministers, depending on the discretion of the president. This includes one directly elected female representative per district (currently 112 women), 10 female representatives of the military (Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF)), 5 each of youth, workers and disabled representatives, and an unspecified number of ex-officio members appointed by the president and non-electoral rights. Judges of the three higher levels are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission and the approval of Parliament.
Very controversial was the implementation of the so-called 'no-party system', which was declared democratic, transparent and without parties. Based on the findings and recommendations of the commission, President Museveni and his party, the NRM, implemented the Constitutional (Amendment) Act 2005 and with it two constitutional amendments: first, the establishment of a multi-party system, required by the majority of voters in the United States. the 2005 referendum; and second, the abolition of the presidential two-term limit. The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, referring to Article 69, states that '(1) the people of Uganda shall have the right to choose and adopt a political system of their choice by means of free and fair elections or referenda .
The internal organization of a political party shall comply with the democratic principles enshrined in the constitution. Members of the national organs of a political party shall be regularly elected from among citizens of Uganda in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (a) and (b) of this article and with due regard to gender;. Institutional framework for decentralization: The central government structure in Uganda consists of the offices of the president and prime minister and 25 line ministries, one of which is the Ministry of Local Government, which oversees local government administration.
Elections in Uganda are held under the supervision of the Electoral Commission established by the 1997 Electoral Commission Act. In the period before the election season, the electoral commission also undertakes to carry out voter education. In the event of a dispute about the election result, complaints can be submitted to the electoral commission, which is authorized to process complaints and make a decision.
D., 'Beyond the Referendum 2000 (on political systems) in Uganda: Is the movement a political party?' A paper presented at the International Conference on Challenges for the Social Sciences in Africa in the 21st Century, 25-27 October 2000, Kampala, Uganda. Republic of Uganda, 2004, Report of the Government and Political Forces Consultative Process: Summary of Proceedings, Working Papers and Minutes, Kampala: NRM Secretariat.
