Civil society welcomes ID registration

By Umaru Kashaka

A coalition of over 700 civil society organizations under the Citizens’ Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) has welcomed the ongoing National Identity Cards registration saying it will ensure a clean and credible voters’ register come the 2016 general elections.

In a statement released on Wednesday by the project coordinator Crispy Kaheru, the coalition noted that it is optimistic that if well managed, the ID Project is a potential game changer in Uganda’s electoral processes.

“With the proposed extraction of the voters’ roll from the national ID database, the prospects of clamping down on improper voter registration and improper voting are high,” read the statement.

The civil society said that since the 1996 elections, scrutiny of Uganda’s voters’ register has revealed a host of gaping flaws ranging from illegitimate voters on the roll to legitimate voters missing on the voters roll.

“The mass enrolment is targeting those aged 16+ to ensure that every citizen aged 18+ in Feb/Mar 2016 (when Uganda goes to the polls) is captured on the voters register and is eligible to vote,” they stated.