EC announces youth poll dates
Dec 09, 2010
THE Electoral Commission (EC) yesterday announced that the regional conferences for the election of the four youth MPs would be held from March 12 to 14, 2011.
By Moses Mulondo
THE Electoral Commission (EC) yesterday announced that the regional conferences for the election of the four youth MPs would be held from March 12 to 14, 2011.
The EC also announced yesterday that it had approved the programme for the elections for youth councils at all levels.
“The programme shall start with the update of the youth registers and registration of willing youth at village level from December 17 to 20,†the commission said.
EC chairman Eng. Badru Kiggundu said the election of youth councils would lead to regional conferences for the election of four youth representatives to Parliament, election of the female youth MP and the National Youth Council.
Meanwhile, the EC has finished cleaning the national voters’ register.
Addressing journalists yesterday, Kiggundu said the final national voters’ register had 13,954,129 voters who will be eligible to vote in next year’s general elections.
In 2006, the total number of voters was 10,604,402 and about 65% voted.
Kiggundu said the commission removed over a million ghost voters from the register, many of whom included those who registered more than once, foreigners, those who died and those who changed residence.
He said they had availed provisional electronic copies of the register to political parties.
Kiggundu added that the register was also available for the public to download on the commission’s website.
He clarified that the commission would not issue voter cards to newly-registered voters because they would be the first category of Ugandans to be issued with the National Identity Cards, produced by the internal affairs ministry.
Kiggundu, however, dismissed reports that voters without voters cards will not be allowed to vote.
“For avoidance of doubt, the commission would like to emphasise that the national voters’ register, and not the voters’ card, shall be the basis for voting during the 2011 elections,†he said.
Kiggundu also said registered voters without voters’ cards and whose photographs are missing would also be allowed to vote after proper identification.
The commission called for tolerance to ensure violence-free campaigns and elections.
THE Electoral Commission (EC) yesterday announced that the regional conferences for the election of the four youth MPs would be held from March 12 to 14, 2011.
The EC also announced yesterday that it had approved the programme for the elections for youth councils at all levels.
“The programme shall start with the update of the youth registers and registration of willing youth at village level from December 17 to 20,†the commission said.
EC chairman Eng. Badru Kiggundu said the election of youth councils would lead to regional conferences for the election of four youth representatives to Parliament, election of the female youth MP and the National Youth Council.
Meanwhile, the EC has finished cleaning the national voters’ register.
Addressing journalists yesterday, Kiggundu said the final national voters’ register had 13,954,129 voters who will be eligible to vote in next year’s general elections.
In 2006, the total number of voters was 10,604,402 and about 65% voted.
Kiggundu said the commission removed over a million ghost voters from the register, many of whom included those who registered more than once, foreigners, those who died and those who changed residence.
He said they had availed provisional electronic copies of the register to political parties.
Kiggundu added that the register was also available for the public to download on the commission’s website.
He clarified that the commission would not issue voter cards to newly-registered voters because they would be the first category of Ugandans to be issued with the National Identity Cards, produced by the internal affairs ministry.
Kiggundu, however, dismissed reports that voters without voters cards will not be allowed to vote.
“For avoidance of doubt, the commission would like to emphasise that the national voters’ register, and not the voters’ card, shall be the basis for voting during the 2011 elections,†he said.
Kiggundu also said registered voters without voters’ cards and whose photographs are missing would also be allowed to vote after proper identification.
The commission called for tolerance to ensure violence-free campaigns and elections.