Bulletin June 2009
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TheTheFor Regular, Free ECEC and Fair Elections BulletinBulletin TRI-ANNUAL VOLUME 07 ISSUE 1 JUNE, 2009 www.ec.or.ug Foreword On our part, the Commission has also identified various areas in the electoral laws which have posed practical and legal challenges to our work. These findings have been forwarded as EC not liable for proposals for necessary amendment. unqualified candidates...3 The Commission believes that if these proposals are considered, an improved Set realistic time for and favourable environment for future elections will be achieved, hence election reports....................4 contributing to the overall quality of elections in Uganda. Proposed amendments This edition will also give clarification to electoral laws...................5 on certain proposed areas for amendment which have raised concern among some members of the public. Military have a right to vote................................................6 As managers of the electoral process, the Commission has had practical o our esteemed readers and implementation problems with some partners, warm greetings from of these provisions. We are, therefore, Successful elections key the Electoral Commission. We T well-intentioned in the effort to have are honoured to reach out to you once to development....................7 these ‘problematic’ sections of electoral again through this newsletter. laws amended. In this edition, the Commission will Women emerging in There is no doubt that if we walk and share with you the continuous effort democracy................................9 work together, we shall go a long being made to improve the delivery of way in improving and strengthening electoral services through revision of democratization and good governance certain sections of the electoral laws. Letters.......................................12 in Uganda. I, therefore, appeal to you as you read this edition, to be part of I would like to thank our various this cause. stakeholders, including political parties/organisations, civil society For God and my country, Demarcation of Local organisations, the international community, voters, and the Govt electoral areas.......15 Sam A. Rwakoojo government for pointing out certain Secretary, provisions within the existing electoral Electoral Commission Election reports.................19 laws for amendment. Our Mission: To organise and conduct regular, free and fair elections and referenda professionally, impartially and efficiently Our Vision: To be a model institution and centre of excellency in election management BRIEFS The EC Bulletin Schools to teach voter Voter Education Project EC Concludes Local education kicks off Council By-elections The.Electoral.Commission.has.been. On. 23rd. and. 26th. February,. 2009,. The. Electoral. Commission. success- working.with.the.Ministry.of.Educa- the. Commission. officially. launched. fully. conducted. elections. and. by- tion.and.Sports,.through.its.relevant. the.European.Union.Voter.Education. elections.during.the.month.of.May. department. National. Curriculum. funded.project.in.Northern.Uganda. 2009,.to.fill.existing.vacancies.at.Lo- Development. Center. (NCDC),. to. (Arua.and.Lira.Districts)..The.project’s. cal.Government.level.that.occurred. integrate. voter. education. in. the. aims.are.to.improve.voter.education. after.the.2006.General.Elections.. school.syllabus.in.Uganda.. starting.with.the.war.affected.areas.. Polling.was.conducted.on.21st.May. On. Thursday. 2nd. April. 2009,. the. According. to. Molly. K.. Nawe,. Head,. 2009. at. two. thousand. eight. hun- project. to. implement. the. integra- Voter. Education. and. Training. dred. polling. stations. in. eight. hun- tion. was. officially. launched. at. the. (above),. the. following. activities. are. dred.and.forty.(840).parisihes.spread. NCDC.headquarters.in.Kyambogo.. to.be.conducted.under.the.project. over.two.hundred.and.seventy-five. and.in.a.period.of.one.(1).year: (275). sub. counties. in. seventy-five. The.Chairman,.Electoral.Commission,. (75).districts.. Eng..Dr..Badru.Kiggundu.(above).de- 1).Integration.of.Voter.Education.into. scribed.the.integration.project.as.a. Functional Adult.Literacy Educa- Some.of.the.vacancies.in.the.elec- long.term.strategic.objective.to.en- tion.(Retreat.for.Mainstreamers) toral. areas. above. occurred. due. to. sure.that.all.Ugandans.of.six.years.of. 2).Integration. of. Voter. Education. lack. of. nominated. candidates. in. age.acquire.core.knowledge.about. into. the. Primary. and. Secondary. 2006,.resignations.and/or.deaths.of. elections.and.democracy.. School.curriculum.(Four-.Seven) elected. councillors,. and. as. a. result. 3).Voter. education. in. selected. sec- of.newly.created.Local.Government. The. integration. of. voter. education. ondary. and. tertiary. institutions. units.such.as.Town.Councils.and.Sub. in.the.school.curriculum.at.Primary. in.the.Northern.Region.targeting. Counties. and.Secondary.level.is.expected.to. the.youth result.into.the.development.of.ba- 4).Face.to.face.interaction.with.vot- Other.vacancies.occurred.due.to.the. sic.democratic.values.and.principles. ers.in.the.Eastern.region. most.recent.creations.of.Administra- among. the. citizens,. which. are. in- 5).Procurement. of. a. Film. for. Voter. tive.Units.by.the.Local.Government. valuable.in.achieving.effective.par- Education.purposes. Councils/Ministry. of. Local. Govern- ticipation.in.decision.making.for.the. ment.and.failure.to.realise.any.can- good.governance.of.Uganda.. The.Commission.is.very.grateful.for. didates. during. the. recent. nomina- the. European. Union. support. and. tions. The. Commission. acknowledges. calls.upon.all.concerned.stakehold- the. support. of. the. European. Un- ers.to.participate.and.cooperate.ac- Visit us at ion.towards.implementation.of.this. cordingly,. to. ensure. success. of. this. project. initial.undertaking...... www.ec.or.ug 2 OPINION The EC Bulletin Exempt EC from liability over unqualified candidates Isaac Were s. an. election. official,. I. have. But.even.then,.it.is.not.enough.for. often.had.a.difficult.time.ex- the.EC.to.be.exempted.from.liability. Aplaining.to.some.sections.of. only.for.another.institution.financed. the.public.why.persons.with.disput- by. tax. payers’. money. to. spend. on. able. academic. documents. end. up. what.could.have.been.avoided..We. being. nominated. by. the. Electoral. should.not.aim.at.saving.the.Com- Commission. to. contest. as. candi- mission.only.to.discredit.the.NCHE.. dates.during.public.elections..Some. have. never. been. satisfied. with. my. Apparently,.one.of.the.causes.of.vot- explanation. that. the. Commission. er.apathy.is.a.discontent.with.gaps. has. neither. the. mandate. to. deter- in. electoral. laws,. which,. for. exam- mine. the. authenticity. of. academic. ple,.enable.a.person.with.disputed. documents.nor.to.certify.them. records.to.contest..As.a.result,.some. voters. tend. to. abstain. from. voting. The.electoral.laws.specify.academic. in.a.by-election.where.a.candidate. qualifications. for. elective. positions. as.noted.by.several.court.rulings,.re- stands.again,.when.his.or.her.illegal. at. District. Chairperson,. Parliamen- mains.a.fundamental.problem..Per- actions.had.led.to.nullification.of.the. tary. and. Presidential. level. to. be. a. sons. who. forge. academic. papers. previous.election.results. minimum. of. Advanced. Level. or. its. have. many. times. been. cleared. by. equivalent.. the.NCHE.to.stand.as.candidates.in. We. should,. therefore,. all. work. to- public.elections. wards. eliminating. the. problem. of. The. following. categories. of. qualifi- questionable. academic. qualifica- cations.require.verification.and.certi- I.believe.that.the.EC.has.been.receiv- tions. in. elections.. But. above. all,. fication.as.(equivalent.of).advanced. ing. undue. bashing;. and. I. am. glad. Parliament. should. heed. the. Com- level. standard. of. education. or. its. that.it.is.now.seeking.for.an.amend- mission’s.call.to.enact.necessary.de- equivalent. by. the. National. Council. ment.to.be.exempted.from.liability. terrent.legislation.. for.Higher.Education.(NCHE).in.con- if. a. person. who. is. not. qualified. is. sultation.with.the.Uganda.National. nominated. (by. EC). on. the. basis. of. As. a. measure. to. curb. such. abuse,. Examinations.Board.(UNEB).. academic. certificates. approved. by. legislators.should.seriously.consider. the.NCHE. amending. the. law. so. that. anyone. •. Academic. degrees. obtained. out- who. forges. academic. documents. side.Uganda It. will,. therefore,. be. fair. if. the. elec- shall. on. conviction,. be. liable. to. a. •. Advanced.Level.qualifications.ob- toral. laws. are. amended. to. exempt. fine.or.imprisonment.for.a.specified. tained.outside.Uganda. the.Commission.from.liability.where. term,.and.in.addition.to.the.impris- •. Qualifications.accepted.as.equiva- a. person. otherwise. not. qualified. is. onment,.be.disqualified.for.a.period. lent.to.Advanced.Level.education. nominated.on.the.basis.of.academic. of.at.least.five.years.from.the.date.of. from.within.or.outside.Uganda... documents.certified.by.educational. his/her.conviction.from.running.for. institutions.and/or.the.NCHE. an.elective.office. This.certification.issued.by.the.NCHE. shall.be.sufficient.in.respect.to.any. I.also.applaud.the.EC’s.proposal.that. The author is an Election Officer, election.for.which.the.same.qualifi- such. academic. institutions. and/or. Public Relations. He is a qualified cations.is.required.. the. NCHE. should. also. be. made. (a). teacher with a Diploma in statutory.respondent(s).to.any.peti-