The Chairperson of Public Grievances Chamber yesterday said that mayors and city councils should be elected to office because they represent the residents of their cities.
Deng Biong Mijak said the mayor of any city in the world is elected but not appointed by politicians because his office should represent the city’s residents.He explained that the Local Government Act 2009 says the mayor and the city council members must be elected by the people.
Justice Biong added that mayor of Kampala city is elected by the people and not necessarily from the ruling party.
He said the mayor and his council are elected officials.
He said all mayors and city council members should be elected as soon as the Elections Law is passed by the parliament and the Electoral Commission formed.
Justice Biong criticized the Mayor of Juba for sometimes interfering in national issues saying that his office falls under local government since he was appointed by Central Equatoria authorities.
He said the national Transitional Constitution provision on intergovernmental linkages stipulates that the national government cannot directly deal with the local government because there is a state government in between.
Justice Biong added that when the National Assembly committed an unlawful act when MPs summoned Juba Mayor Al Haj Mohamed Baballa to debate together with two national ministers the security situation in the capital because he was under the minister of local government.