DP warns members against involvement in election management

Nov 20, 2019

According to 2021 election road map, updating of national voters’ register and compilation of registers for special interest groups, will commence on November 21 and close on December 11, 2019.

The Democratic Party (DP) has warned its members against involvement in any activities that may compromise the credibility of the electoral processes.

"A politician even if you are from the DP, we do not expect you to be appointed by Electoral Commission to manage any electoral process," said Walter Lubega Mukaku, one of the principals of the DP bloc.

He added: "This will mean that we are not implementing the democratic practices we have been advocating for." 

Lubega made the remarks at a weekly party press conference at the City House in Kampala. He was accompanied by the leaders of the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD).

He additionally faulted the Electoral Commission (EC) on its decision to involve local councils in the verification of the voters' register.

"We want the 2021 elections to be free and fair. It must meet the internationally acceptable standards," Mukaku said.

According to 2021 election road map, updating of national voters' register and compilation of registers for special interest groups, will commence on November 21 and close on December 11, 2019.

The voter verification and register updating exercise, is expected to cost sh7.1b.

However, EC has been conducting local councils' meetings to approve voters a head of the national voter register updating exercise.

The village meetings, according to the commission said will help identify the dead and those who switched locations.

However, the DP dismissed the exercise alleging that it provided an opportunity for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the security agencies to manipulate the forth coming elections.

The EC has already concluded the demarcation and re-organization of polling stations mapping exercise at the cost of Sh492m.

DP also advised against Government against creating more constituencies and other administrative units in the run to the election period.

Mukaku purported that this was one trick the NRM has been using to create more elective positions in their areas of support which is not in the spirit of free and fair elections.

"We do not want to see what we call artificial majorities in Parliament in the 11th Parliament. As DP we have vowed not to settle down or merely speak. But what we want is a free and fair electoral process," he said.

He added that the decision to creating and gazette more villages creates more suspicion.

The most important thing, DP said it was important to see the European Union (EU) engage President Museveni on Uganda's preparedness to deliver a free and fair election in 2021.

"Though the President assured the delegation of a free and fair election, as DP we still doubt his commitment basing on what we see going on in the EC.

We still appeal to African Union, United Nations, EU, East African Community and our own institutions such as Parliament that it is our responsibility to ensure free and fair electoral processes," Mukaku said.

Mukaku said DP was ready to shun the elections if there is no sign of minimum standards of free and fair electoral process.

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