The moment of truth for Ugandan voters
Feb 21, 2006
BEING the first time in 25 years that Uganda is hosting a multiparty general election, we hope the polling stations will be buzzing with long queues – that is, if political affiliations have been able to push the voters’ morale up.
By Denis Ocwich
BEING the first time in 25 years that Uganda is hosting a multiparty general election, we hope the polling stations will be buzzing with long queues – that is, if political affiliations have been able to push the voters’ morale up.
Hopefully, the Electoral Commission will not let us down by having names of many voters omitted from the registers and slow verification procedures at poll centres. We also hope that there will be enough polling officials, security, materials, and enough time for all eligible voters to cast their ballots.
Of course, there are some adult Ugandans, (including those who voluntarily registered to vote) who will turn their back to the polling stations.
Maybe we can blame such people for abdicating their civic role of choosing a leader. Or maybe they have reasons for staying away. Some would say they have been disappointed by election violence, rigging, poor civic education, empty promises of politicians, and so on. That ‘poor show’ by politicians is not only a Ugandan affair. Around the world, governments are finding it hard to win the hearts of disenchanted citizens. To the extent that some social scientists think that global democracy is undergoing an enormous “political depression†because of voter apathy. Many ordinary people believe the value of a ballot paper has depreciated so much so that elections no longer make a desired difference in changing unpopular leaders or policies. Fortunately, Uganda is still somewhere above average.
The US, Britain and Canada are considered good examples of democracy, but over the last decades, their voter turnout has nose-dived terribly. Last year, about 61% of Brits turned up to vote in the Labour-won polls. A report published by the Hansard Society in 2001 found that many UK voters had little interest in elections because there is “nothing positive to vote for†since the competing parties are often “as bad as each other.†Nearly 80% of Britons do not even bother to attend political campaign rallies.
An earlier 1997 British Election Study survey announced that 58% of the British population agreed that people at large “have no say in government actions†and 45% went on to agree that whether you vote for this or that party, it makes no big difference, so “the party in power does not matter, things go on the same.â€
In North America, human rights groups are worried that unless something is done to woo back citizens into active political participation, democracy will become a ‘lame duck’. The U.S. now ranks among countries with lowest voter turnouts. In recent polls, only about a half of the adult population has been voting. According to the Toronto Globe and Mail, when John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon for the White House race in 1960, a record 62.8% of adults voted. Since then, there has been a steady, pronounced decline in the willingness of Americans to go to the polling booth.
The situation is only a bit better in neighbouring Canada, where for the past century, the slipping voter turnout has varied from 67% to 79%.
In Uganda, both Afrobarometer survey and evidence from previous elections (excluding referenda) indicate that despite growing public mistrust of politicians and poor civic education, voter turnout is still fair.
According to the EC, there were 10,775,836 registered voters in the 2001 presidential polls. Out of that, 7,483,896 (about 70%) cast their ballots in 17,308 polling stations countrywide.
An Afrobarometer survey conducted between April 12 and May 4 2005 reported that although there had been a drop in voter turnout, “Uganda remains high by African standards.â€
About 80% of adult Ugandans are registered voters. By this weekend, we will know how many of them are keen on exercising their rights.
But for those who have given up
on voting, here is a quote from American writer, George Jean Nathan: “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.â€
Cheers to all Ugandan voters who will do the needful!
The writer is an MA
student in Sweden
BEING the first time in 25 years that Uganda is hosting a multiparty general election, we hope the polling stations will be buzzing with long queues – that is, if political affiliations have been able to push the voters’ morale up.
Hopefully, the Electoral Commission will not let us down by having names of many voters omitted from the registers and slow verification procedures at poll centres. We also hope that there will be enough polling officials, security, materials, and enough time for all eligible voters to cast their ballots.
Of course, there are some adult Ugandans, (including those who voluntarily registered to vote) who will turn their back to the polling stations.
Maybe we can blame such people for abdicating their civic role of choosing a leader. Or maybe they have reasons for staying away. Some would say they have been disappointed by election violence, rigging, poor civic education, empty promises of politicians, and so on. That ‘poor show’ by politicians is not only a Ugandan affair. Around the world, governments are finding it hard to win the hearts of disenchanted citizens. To the extent that some social scientists think that global democracy is undergoing an enormous “political depression†because of voter apathy. Many ordinary people believe the value of a ballot paper has depreciated so much so that elections no longer make a desired difference in changing unpopular leaders or policies. Fortunately, Uganda is still somewhere above average.
The US, Britain and Canada are considered good examples of democracy, but over the last decades, their voter turnout has nose-dived terribly. Last year, about 61% of Brits turned up to vote in the Labour-won polls. A report published by the Hansard Society in 2001 found that many UK voters had little interest in elections because there is “nothing positive to vote for†since the competing parties are often “as bad as each other.†Nearly 80% of Britons do not even bother to attend political campaign rallies.
An earlier 1997 British Election Study survey announced that 58% of the British population agreed that people at large “have no say in government actions†and 45% went on to agree that whether you vote for this or that party, it makes no big difference, so “the party in power does not matter, things go on the same.â€
In North America, human rights groups are worried that unless something is done to woo back citizens into active political participation, democracy will become a ‘lame duck’. The U.S. now ranks among countries with lowest voter turnouts. In recent polls, only about a half of the adult population has been voting. According to the Toronto Globe and Mail, when John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon for the White House race in 1960, a record 62.8% of adults voted. Since then, there has been a steady, pronounced decline in the willingness of Americans to go to the polling booth.
The situation is only a bit better in neighbouring Canada, where for the past century, the slipping voter turnout has varied from 67% to 79%.
In Uganda, both Afrobarometer survey and evidence from previous elections (excluding referenda) indicate that despite growing public mistrust of politicians and poor civic education, voter turnout is still fair.
According to the EC, there were 10,775,836 registered voters in the 2001 presidential polls. Out of that, 7,483,896 (about 70%) cast their ballots in 17,308 polling stations countrywide.
An Afrobarometer survey conducted between April 12 and May 4 2005 reported that although there had been a drop in voter turnout, “Uganda remains high by African standards.â€
About 80% of adult Ugandans are registered voters. By this weekend, we will know how many of them are keen on exercising their rights.
But for those who have given up
on voting, here is a quote from American writer, George Jean Nathan: “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.â€
Cheers to all Ugandan voters who will do the needful!
The writer is an MA
student in Sweden