Local Council
Encyclopedia
A Local Council is a form of local elected government within the districts
of Uganda
. They were initially established as rebel support structures in the areas controlled by the National Resistance Army
(NRA) of Yoweri Museveni
. At this time, they were known as Resistance Councils (RCs) and proved effective in funneling food and supplies to the NRA combatants. Following the victory of the NRA and Museveni's taking of the presidential office in 1986, Resistance Councils were implemented in every district. After the first elections under Museveni in 1996, the Resistance Councils were renamed Local Councils.
There are five levels of Local Councils. The lowest level is the Local Council I (LC 1 or LC I), and is responsible for a village or, in the case of towns or cities, a neighborhood. The area covered by Local Councils II through IV incorporate several of the next lowest level, while a Local Council V (LC5) is responsible for the entire district. In theory, a problem at a local level is relayed up through the various levels until it reaches an LC with sufficient authority or power to resolve it, while centrally planned directives are relayed downward until they are implemented at the local level. The LC system has been praised by some political analysts. The election of Resistance Council representatives was the first direct experience of many Ugandans with democracy
after many decades of varying levels of authoritarianism and the replication of the structure up to the district level has been credited with helping even people at the local level understand the higher level political structures.
Each Local Council has a certain number of identical positions, such as Chairman, Vice-Chairman, etc. As each position must be filled for each of the five LC levels, it requires Ugandan citizens to make a large number of choices when filling out ballot
s. The Local Council does not transfer nationally. Instead, the national government appoints Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) to represent its interests at the district level. The relative status of the LC5 Chairman and the RDC is sometimes hard to determine. Though they are theoretically supposed to work in concert, in practice they may conflict or one may have much more power in the district than the other.
Districts of Uganda
Uganda is divided into 111 districts and one city across four administrative regions. Most districts are named after their main commercial and administrative towns....
of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. They were initially established as rebel support structures in the areas controlled by the National Resistance Army
National Resistance Army
The National Resistance Army , the military wing of the National Resistance Movement , was a rebel army that waged a guerrilla war, commonly referred to as the Luwero War or "the war in the bush", against the government of Milton Obote, and later that of Tito Okello.NRA was supported by Muammar...
(NRA) of Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is a Ugandan politician and statesman. He has been President of Uganda since 26 January 1986.Museveni was involved in the war that deposed Idi Amin Dada, ending his rule in 1979, and in the rebellion that subsequently led to the demise of the Milton Obote regime in 1985...
. At this time, they were known as Resistance Councils (RCs) and proved effective in funneling food and supplies to the NRA combatants. Following the victory of the NRA and Museveni's taking of the presidential office in 1986, Resistance Councils were implemented in every district. After the first elections under Museveni in 1996, the Resistance Councils were renamed Local Councils.
There are five levels of Local Councils. The lowest level is the Local Council I (LC 1 or LC I), and is responsible for a village or, in the case of towns or cities, a neighborhood. The area covered by Local Councils II through IV incorporate several of the next lowest level, while a Local Council V (LC5) is responsible for the entire district. In theory, a problem at a local level is relayed up through the various levels until it reaches an LC with sufficient authority or power to resolve it, while centrally planned directives are relayed downward until they are implemented at the local level. The LC system has been praised by some political analysts. The election of Resistance Council representatives was the first direct experience of many Ugandans with democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
after many decades of varying levels of authoritarianism and the replication of the structure up to the district level has been credited with helping even people at the local level understand the higher level political structures.
Each Local Council has a certain number of identical positions, such as Chairman, Vice-Chairman, etc. As each position must be filled for each of the five LC levels, it requires Ugandan citizens to make a large number of choices when filling out ballot
Ballot
A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed to protect the...
s. The Local Council does not transfer nationally. Instead, the national government appoints Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) to represent its interests at the district level. The relative status of the LC5 Chairman and the RDC is sometimes hard to determine. Though they are theoretically supposed to work in concert, in practice they may conflict or one may have much more power in the district than the other.