Register before October 28

Sep 29, 2005

UGANDA’S statistics indicate that around 12 million people are over the age of 18 and eligible to vote. But the Electoral Commission has only registered 8.5 million voters.

UGANDA’S statistics indicate that around 12 million people are over the age of 18 and eligible to vote. But the Electoral Commission has only registered 8.5 million voters.
The positive aspect of this shortfall is that it is clear that the electoral register has not been inflated. Often elections in fragile democracies are compromised as more people vote than there are eligible. This shortfall should actually give voters confidence that the elections in 2006 will be free and fair.
Nevertheless it is disappointing that almost 30 per cent of the potential electorate have not registered to vote.
This is not unusual. In some ‘advanced’ democracies, many citizens do not care which party is in power and less than half the eligible voters are registered. These countries accept this apathy as the right of the citizen to choose whether or not to exercise the right to vote.
But in some countries like Australia, it is compulsory for citizens to register and to vote. Not to do so is a criminal offence punishable by substantial fines. These countries believe that, in a true democracy, all citizens must be consulted and contribute.
It is impractical to make it compulsory to register and to vote in Uganda. The legal and adminstrative systems do not have the capacity to enforce it.
Nevertheless it is democratically desirable for as many citizens as possible to participate in the electoral process.

The Electoral Commission is presently conducting a drive to get as many unregistered people as possible on to the voters register before the closing date of October 28. After that date, it will be impossible for an unregistered person to vote in 2006.
Any Ugandan who is not registered to vote should now do so. It is the patriotic duty of people all over the world to exercise their right to vote, if they have the freedom to do so.
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