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Resolutions of the Seminar

The seminar resolves that:

1. A constitution is the foundation of all exercises of state power.
2. A viable constitution is a result of the approval of the citizens and citizens should therefore be involved in the whole process of constitution making.
3. Given that past Constitutions of Uganda have promoted foreign interests, the future Constitution should protect our national interest and independence.
4. The President be directly elected on his own merit.
5. The office of the President should be only one term of 5 years.
6. The Constitution should provide for the processing of impeachment by the Legislature.
7. The Constitution should provide for impeachment of the President outside the Legislature in the form of a referendum at the instance of a petition of signatures signed by a minimum of members of the public to be specified by law.
8. The Constitution should explicitly define treason.
9. Civil servants should be appointed by merit.
10. The Constitution should ensure continuity in public service.
11. Those public officers appointed by the President should vacate their offices at the end of his term of office.
12. Dismissal of civil servants at the pleasure of the president should be abolished.
13. The Public Service Commission should have full executive powers to appoint, promote, discipline and dismiss public officers other than those directly appointed by the President under the law.
14. The Civil Service should be conscientised to serve national interest.
15. Security forces should be impartial and under democratic control.
16. Recruitment into the security forces should be on the basis of qualifications and accordance with law.
17. The Constitution should have a provision on the disciplining of security forces.
18. Top security officers like The Commander of the Armed Forces, The Chief of Staff, Director of CID and such other high ranking officers as may be specified by law should be appointed by the President but subject to ratification by Parliament.
19. Security Forces as such should not have any control over the Legislature.
20. The Executive should not have any control over the Legislature.
21. The power of summoning, proroguing and dissolving the National Assembly should be vested in the Speaker.
22. Members of the National Assembly should not be appointed Ministers.
23. Appointment of Ministers, Ambassadors, High Commissioners and other Principal representatives of Uganda abroad, the Chief Justice, Auditor-General, Director of Public Prosecutions, Chairman and Members of the Public, Teaching, Judicial and Electoral commissions, Permanent Secretaries and Head of Departments should be subject to ratification by Parliament.
24. The constituents should have a right to recall their representatives at any time who in their view have ceased to represent their interests.
25. There should be no specially elected members of Parliament.
26. There should be a permanent and independent Electoral Commission whose members shall enjoy security of tenure and whose salaries shall be charged on the Consolidated Fund.
27. Government should not be involved in the organisation and conducting of general elections to the National Assembly.
28. Governmental activities should be supervised by functional parliamentary committees.
29. Election Petition Cases should be decided either by three High Court Judges or one High Court Judge with the right of appeal to the Supreme Court.
30. The independence of the Judiciary should be strengthened further by giving it full control of and accountability for its finances.
31. The Constitution should be built on the principles of an integrated and independent economy.
32. The Constitution should incorporate a Code of Conduct for all public officers.
33. Educational policies towards a creation of a national identity and conscience should be formulated and vigorously pursued as one of the means of safeguarding the sanctity of the Constitution.
34. A National dialogue involving leaders of all political groups must be arranged to resolve political differences and to build a united democratic nation.