Electoral Commission regrets Ssembabule MP saga
Dec 03, 2008
THE byelections for the Ssembabule district Woman MP will cost sh170m, the Electoral Commission chairman (EC), Eng Badru Kiggundu, has announced.
By Dismus Buregyeya
THE byelections for the Ssembabule district Woman MP will cost sh170m, the Electoral Commission chairman (EC), Eng Badru Kiggundu, has announced.
Byelections of this nature are a wast e of the tax -payer’s money and undermine the primary tenets of true democracy,†he said.
Addressing a consultative meeting at the district council hall on November 29, Kiggundu said “the money would have been used to improve the roads in Ssembabule.â€
Kiggundu said the EC resolved to postpone the Ssembabule district 2006 elections due to the political wrangles in the district.
The Supreme Court last month nullified the election of Hanifa Kawooya for non- compliance with the electoral regulations.
“The other parliamentary and local government candidates begged the EC not to cancel the elections. We agreed on an operational mode that was implemented during the elections. However, the same mode was later used against the commission in the courts of law,†he said.
Kiggundu said the EC agreed to a memorandum of understanding signed by all the candidates over the mode of election. It was aimed at achieving natural justice for all the parties.
“Those efforts were wasted. Up to now, the commission cannot comprehend how far natural justice can go,†he said.
The southern regional police commander, Andrew Sorowen, said the force will deploy heavily during the by-elections.
Four candidates, Hanifa Kawoya, Joy Kabatsi, Josephine Namukasa and Sarah Makula, have declared their candidature.
The EC has appointed Latif Ngozi as the district returning officer in charge on the Ssembabule byelections. William Twinamatsiko is the assistant running officer.
THE byelections for the Ssembabule district Woman MP will cost sh170m, the Electoral Commission chairman (EC), Eng Badru Kiggundu, has announced.
Byelections of this nature are a wast e of the tax -payer’s money and undermine the primary tenets of true democracy,†he said.
Addressing a consultative meeting at the district council hall on November 29, Kiggundu said “the money would have been used to improve the roads in Ssembabule.â€
Kiggundu said the EC resolved to postpone the Ssembabule district 2006 elections due to the political wrangles in the district.
The Supreme Court last month nullified the election of Hanifa Kawooya for non- compliance with the electoral regulations.
“The other parliamentary and local government candidates begged the EC not to cancel the elections. We agreed on an operational mode that was implemented during the elections. However, the same mode was later used against the commission in the courts of law,†he said.
Kiggundu said the EC agreed to a memorandum of understanding signed by all the candidates over the mode of election. It was aimed at achieving natural justice for all the parties.
“Those efforts were wasted. Up to now, the commission cannot comprehend how far natural justice can go,†he said.
The southern regional police commander, Andrew Sorowen, said the force will deploy heavily during the by-elections.
Four candidates, Hanifa Kawoya, Joy Kabatsi, Josephine Namukasa and Sarah Makula, have declared their candidature.
The EC has appointed Latif Ngozi as the district returning officer in charge on the Ssembabule byelections. William Twinamatsiko is the assistant running officer.