EC swears in
Nov 18, 2002
THE new chairperson of the Electoral Commission (ec), Eng. Badru Kiggundu and five other newly-appointed commissioners were yesterday sworn in by the chief Justice, Benjamin Odoki, with a challenge to restore the tattered image of the commission.
By Edith Kimuli
THE new chairperson of the Electoral Commission (ec), Eng. Badru Kiggundu and five other newly-appointed commissioners were yesterday sworn in by the chief Justice, Benjamin Odoki, with a challenge to restore the tattered image of the commission.
Odoki challenged the new commissioners to do their work properly in order to lessen the number of petitions in court.
He told them to maintain high integrity, impartiality and fight external interference that would compromise them.
Odoki said cases of multiple voting, pre-ticking of registers, failure to display registers, failure to update registers, malpratice, bribery, failure to issue voters’ cards and poor tallying of results were fertile ground for petitions.
“You should work towards the restoration of the credibility of the institution. This is your immediate challenge,†Odoki said.
The Chief Justice said elections were important in promoting democracy and constitutionalism.
Others sworn in as commissioners were Dr. Jenny B. Okello, Stephen Ongaria, Tom Buruku and Joseph Biribonwa.
Kiggundu immediately took over the EC office handed over to him by the former acting chairperson, Sister Margaret Magoba. Magoba is the new vice-chairperson of the EC.
Kiggundu vowed to restore the credibility of the commission, in a collective effort with his staff.
“You must be ready to work for long hours. Eight hours are recommended medically but they are not enough to restore the credibility of an institution. Those who are not strong enough will have to drop off, Kiggundu told his staff at the Electoral Commission headquarters after swearing in at the Kampala High court.
Kiggundu and the commissioners immediately held a meeting to prepare for the Rubanda East parliamentary elections. The post has to be filled by December 2.
An hour after swearing in, Kiggundu went into action and announced November 19 to 28 as a period for the display of the voters’ register in Rubanda East.
A release signed by him said during the exercise, the parish tribunals should effect the removal or inclusion of voters on the register.
The minister of Justice and Constitutional affairs, Janat Mukwaya, asked the press to “give the EC a break†of at least four months.
Mukwaya said the EC was a central structure in democracy and “when you damage the commission, you disorient the whole process of democracy.â€
THE new chairperson of the Electoral Commission (ec), Eng. Badru Kiggundu and five other newly-appointed commissioners were yesterday sworn in by the chief Justice, Benjamin Odoki, with a challenge to restore the tattered image of the commission.
Odoki challenged the new commissioners to do their work properly in order to lessen the number of petitions in court.
He told them to maintain high integrity, impartiality and fight external interference that would compromise them.
Odoki said cases of multiple voting, pre-ticking of registers, failure to display registers, failure to update registers, malpratice, bribery, failure to issue voters’ cards and poor tallying of results were fertile ground for petitions.
“You should work towards the restoration of the credibility of the institution. This is your immediate challenge,†Odoki said.
The Chief Justice said elections were important in promoting democracy and constitutionalism.
Others sworn in as commissioners were Dr. Jenny B. Okello, Stephen Ongaria, Tom Buruku and Joseph Biribonwa.
Kiggundu immediately took over the EC office handed over to him by the former acting chairperson, Sister Margaret Magoba. Magoba is the new vice-chairperson of the EC.
Kiggundu vowed to restore the credibility of the commission, in a collective effort with his staff.
“You must be ready to work for long hours. Eight hours are recommended medically but they are not enough to restore the credibility of an institution. Those who are not strong enough will have to drop off, Kiggundu told his staff at the Electoral Commission headquarters after swearing in at the Kampala High court.
Kiggundu and the commissioners immediately held a meeting to prepare for the Rubanda East parliamentary elections. The post has to be filled by December 2.
An hour after swearing in, Kiggundu went into action and announced November 19 to 28 as a period for the display of the voters’ register in Rubanda East.
A release signed by him said during the exercise, the parish tribunals should effect the removal or inclusion of voters on the register.
The minister of Justice and Constitutional affairs, Janat Mukwaya, asked the press to “give the EC a break†of at least four months.
Mukwaya said the EC was a central structure in democracy and “when you damage the commission, you disorient the whole process of democracy.â€