NUDIPU attacks EC over funds

Jun 06, 2002

PEOPLE with disabilities (PWDs) yesterday attacked the Electoral Commission (EC) for failing to provide transport for them to go to polling centres.

By Edith KimuliPEOPLE with disabilities (PWDs) yesterday attacked the Electoral Commission (EC) for failing to provide transport for them to go to polling centres.The northern region MP for PWDs, Margaret Baba Diri, called for the reshuffling of the EC so that “officials that are disability-sensitive are recruited.”Baba Diri who was addressing a press conference at the National Union of Disabled Person in Uganda (NUDIPU) offices in Kampala yesterday, said it was an abusive to make the PWDs “crawl to polling centres.”She said the money that was meant to transport the PWDs was diverted to bye-elections. “This is like taking away even the little from the poor,” she said.She said the sh1.5b provided for the youth and PWDs councillors elections was enough. “where did the money go?” she asked, adding that this was negligence and marginalisation. Baba Diri, who is also acting chairperson NUDIPU, said elections for representatives of interest groups like PWDs should always be held first.Elections for LC3 councillors for youth and PWDs were held at sub-county and division headquarters and those for LC5 at the district headquarters yesterday.“How do you expect a person to walk from Koboko to Arua to vote,” she said. She said there has only verbal communication from the commission that there was no money.She said candidates had transported voters to polling centres, which facilitated rigging. She, however, called upon the PWDs who could make it to polling centres to go ahead and cast their votes but said if the elections were greatly affected, they would consider going to court.Ends

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