Election observers want voting time extended

By Umaru Kashaka
 
Civil society organizations that monitored the voting process in the just concluded Bukanga County Parliamentary by-election have asked the Electoral Commission (EC) to start considering extending the voting time beyond 5:00pm.

Last Monday, the EC declared the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Stephen Kangwagye winner of the by-election.

Kangwagye won with 18, 204 votes beating closest rival Nathan Byanyima who polled 16,946 votes. FDC’s Tito Turiyo got 321 votes, DP’s Dembe Shafik managed 65 votes while independent Pastor Abel Tumusiime tailed with 99 votes.

In a statement issued after the declaration of results, the Citizens' Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) noted that in circumstances where the voting process is delayed either by natural calamities and/or logistical mishaps (arising from the EC), the commission should make consideration to compensate the voters.

“There should be a reasonable extension beyond the stipulated time for closure of polling (5:00pm). This will guard against disenfranchising many interested voters as witnessed in Bukanga,” the report issued by Crispy Kaheru, the CCEDU Project Coordinator stated.

Kaheru explained that some voters who turned up to the polling stations after 5:00pm in Bukanga election, attributed their lateness to the disruption caused by the rain as well as long distances between their homes and the polling stations where they were expected to vote from.

“At the close of polls, many voters were disenfranchised because they came a few minutes after 5.00pm and so were not allowed to cast their vote. CCEDU noted this on large scales at polling stations in Endinzi, Rugaaga and Ngarama Sub Counties,” he added.

CCEDU deployed 29 election observers in the Bukanga election. The constituency has a total 135 polling stations and the organisation strategically sampled 71 polling stations in all the six sub counties that make up Bukanga county.