Inmates to vote â€" Rugunda
Apr 26, 2005
INMATES in Uganda’s prisons are to start voting in national elections, internal affairs minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda said yesterday.
By Hamis Kaheru
INMATES in Uganda’s prisons are to start voting in national elections, internal affairs minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda said yesterday.
Rugunda said the attorney general, Dr. Khiddu Makubuya, who is also the justice and constitutional affairs minister, recently wrote to the Electoral Commission (EC) saying the prisoners had a constitutional right to vote.
Rugunda told the parliamentary committee on defence and internal affairs that Makubuya advised the EC to ensure that prisoners exercised their constitutional right in elections.
“As to the details of campaigns and other matters, we leave it to the Electoral Commission to work them out,†Rugunda said.
EC chairman Dr. Badru Kiggundu yesterday said he had received Makubuya’s letter.
“The letter came yesterday and I have been briefed. The appropriate departments are handling the issue,†he said.
However, Kiggundu said the prisoners would not participate in the referendum to change the political system scheduled for July 2005, because they were not registered as voters.
The voters’ register update ended on April 8 after the EC extended the exercise several times. The EC said out of 11.4 million eligible voters, 8.3 million had registered.
“The prisoners were not catered for during the voters’ register update because that case just came up recently. We had to communicate with the minister to advise us,†Kiggundu said on phone.
“They may not be included in the referendum but in future elections arrangements are going to be made to ensure that these people vote,†he said.
The EC chief said it was impossible to institute special arrangements to register prisoners for the referendum.
Commissioner of Prisons, Dr. Johnson Byabashaija said on phone there are about 21,000 inmates in 48 Central Government prisons and another 8,000 in local government prisons.
INMATES in Uganda’s prisons are to start voting in national elections, internal affairs minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda said yesterday.
Rugunda said the attorney general, Dr. Khiddu Makubuya, who is also the justice and constitutional affairs minister, recently wrote to the Electoral Commission (EC) saying the prisoners had a constitutional right to vote.
Rugunda told the parliamentary committee on defence and internal affairs that Makubuya advised the EC to ensure that prisoners exercised their constitutional right in elections.
“As to the details of campaigns and other matters, we leave it to the Electoral Commission to work them out,†Rugunda said.
EC chairman Dr. Badru Kiggundu yesterday said he had received Makubuya’s letter.
“The letter came yesterday and I have been briefed. The appropriate departments are handling the issue,†he said.
However, Kiggundu said the prisoners would not participate in the referendum to change the political system scheduled for July 2005, because they were not registered as voters.
The voters’ register update ended on April 8 after the EC extended the exercise several times. The EC said out of 11.4 million eligible voters, 8.3 million had registered.
“The prisoners were not catered for during the voters’ register update because that case just came up recently. We had to communicate with the minister to advise us,†Kiggundu said on phone.
“They may not be included in the referendum but in future elections arrangements are going to be made to ensure that these people vote,†he said.
The EC chief said it was impossible to institute special arrangements to register prisoners for the referendum.
Commissioner of Prisons, Dr. Johnson Byabashaija said on phone there are about 21,000 inmates in 48 Central Government prisons and another 8,000 in local government prisons.