Electoral Commission assures PWDs of inclusivity in 2021 elections

Aug 14, 2020

PWDs continue to face gross violation of their rights

Electoral Commission (EC) chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama has assured people with disabilities (PWDs) that they will not be deprived of their right to vote in the coming polls.

Byabakama was meeting a group of lawyers and activists for PWDs at the EC offices in Kampala on Wednesday.

The group presented a petition to the EC, citing several grounds that may hinder the participation of PWDs in the 2020-2021 electoral processes.

Yasin Sentumbwe, the managing director Gain Confidence Africa, who led the group, demanded that EC come up with a clear plan of promoting the effective participation of all persons in the election process.

He alleged that the 2020-2021 ‘scientific' election roadmap excludes PWDs which contravenes the doctrine of legitimate expectations which requires the EC to consult all stakeholders before taking action.

"It was clearly made without consideration of PWDs and their right to participate in the electoral process," he said.

The 2014 National Population and Household Census, put PWDs at about 12.4% of Uganda's population, then estimated at 34.6 million.

Sentumbwe said PWDs continue to face gross stigmatisation, discrimination, marginalisation and violation of their rights.

He said that people with visual and hearing impairments were at a great disadvantage in the ‘scientific' electoral process, which requires candidates for political offices to campaign through the media.

"Audio radio and televised audio programmes under the scientific campaign programme will exclude persons with hearing impairments, and this will affect the decisions about the candidates to vote for adversely," he said.

The group asked EC to ensure that all the televised election related talk shows have sign language interpreters.

"Also ensure that the individual candidates move with personal sign language interpreters in case of physical interface with the electorates," Sentumbwe said.

They also demanded that special polling stations be created within the main polling stations specifically to cater for PWDs.

Mannequins

Patricia Atim from Makerere Disability Law and Rights Centre suggested that the EC adopts the use of mannequins to "enable visually impaired persons to tell the physical appearance of candidates by touching and feeling".

As an alternative to ticking and thumb printing, she suggested that PWDs may just be asked to drop an unticked ballot paper into a box beside a candidate of their choice upon touching, feeling and proper identification.

Florance Ndagire, an advocate with Network for Public Interest Lawyers, said: "What we are asking for from EC is inclusive guidelines. We can start small."

Byabakama, who apologised for some omissions such as the lack of emphasis on sign language interpreters, said the EC was committed to a non-discriminatory electoral process.

"The EC is here to serve all the stakeholders in their own rights and specifications," he said. He, however, said they are limited by the legal framework in implementing some of the recommendations, saying it would require Parliament to amend the electoral laws first.

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