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NGOs Attack Govt on Restrictive BillMonitor
April 20, 2004Government shall soon reject non-governmental organisations that challenge its policies and plans if it gets its way in Parliament. But NGOs are urging MPs to reject a proposed law that they claim will expose them to government censorship. The Coalition on the NGO Bill (CONOB) yesterday described the Non Government Organisations Registration (Amendment) Bill 2001 as unconstitutional and meant to stifle civil society operations. In a press statement, CONOB said the bill portrays NGOs as a security risk, alluding to their being under the Internal Affairs ministry and having spy bodies ESO and ISO represented on the NGO board.
First submitted to Parliament in December 2000, the bill is now before the Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs. Among other things, it requires NGOs to have a valid permit to operate in Uganda, in addition to registering periodically. "The ever present threat of the possibility of refusal to renew the permit leads to censorship and control of NGOs by government," the statement said. The minister shall determine the duration of the permit. The bill bars registration of NGOs intending to challenge government policies, plans or public interest.
Principle II of the National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy of the Constitution says: "Civic Organisations shall retain their autonomy in pursuit of their declared objectives." Speaking on behalf of CONOB, Mr Martin Masiga charged yesterday that government fears a strong civil society. "A vibrant civil society can be a force for democratic and economic accountability," said Masiga, the co-ordinator of the Human Rights Network. Masiga warned against short-sighted selfishness: "We all need a vibrant civil society. Those in positions of leadership will need it when they are out of government."
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