Ugandans choose political system

Jul 28, 2005

UGANDANS are to vote today in a referendum to decide on whether to return to multiparty politics or retain the Movement system of governance as stipulated in the 1995 Constitution.

By Milton Olupot
UGANDANS are to vote today in a referendum to decide on whether to return to multiparty politics or retain the Movement system of governance as stipulated in the 1995 Constitution.

This is the second referendum on change of political systems. The first took place in June 2000, which adopted the current Movement system.

The Electoral Commission (EC) yesterday announced that it had got funds to facilitate two agents from the two sides to the referendum at each polling station.

Sh5,000 will be paid to each side in every polling station.

The EC has also set up a special desk at the commission headquarters to receive and respond to queries and complaints related to the exercise on telephone number 041-337563.

The voters are expected to tick YES or NO on the referendum question: “Do you agree to open up the political space to allow those who wish to join different organisations/parties to do so to compete for political power?”

The EC chairman, Dr. Badru Kiggundu, on Tuesday said voting would start at 7:00am and end at 5:00pm.

The results are expected to be ready within 48 hours. The EC has set up a centralised tallying centre at Hotel Africana in Kampala.

Kiggundu said 8,524,230 people registered as voters, down from the 8.912 million before the recent voter register update.

Over 9.1 million ballot papers have been secured for the plebiscite.

The Electoral Commission Secretary, Sam Rwakoojo, yesterday said all the materials had been dispatched to the respective districts.

By yesterday, the districts had started transporting the materials to the sub-counties.

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