Justice Simon Byabakama addressing participants in the stakeholders engagement
By George Bukenya
The Chairman Uganda Electoral Commission Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama has said that chances of Ugandans leaving in diaspora to exercise their right of voting in the forthcoming general elections are nonexistence at the moment since due to the failure by government to amend the electoral law.
Justice Byabakama said that he carries no blame on the diaspora’s rights of participating in the general election because he is also tied up by the law which needs to be amended and this should be initiated by government and Parliament.
“ It’s not our role and mandate to initiate the amendment of the general election Act so as to allow Ugandans in diaspora also to exercise their right of choosing leaders here,’’ Justice Byabakama explained.
While addressing participants in the stakeholders’ engagement at Hotel Africana in Kampala on 30th July, 2024, Byabakama said that the commission will carry out new demarcation of electoral areas and re-organization of polling stations.
“ Although we are one year late, I am sure we shall be able to completed all our activities as per the electoral road map that we released in July last year and we will work on a crash program’’ he said.
Justice Byabakama also stressed the need to ensure manageable voter numbers and accessibility. The exercise will address new administrative units, voter growth, and will include relocating and splitting polling stations as needed.
Prof. Nansozi Suzie Muwanga the Executive Director of Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre (JNLC) at Makerere University attacked the President Museveni and his party for deliberately refusing to amend the electoral law to remove powers of choosing the chairman of the electoral commission from the seating president.
Prof. Muwanga used the example of a football team preparing like other teams that are going to participate in the tournament then it goes ahead to select the referees.
“ You can’t be Arsenal participating in the league league then you choose the referees and assistant referees and you expect the matches to be free and fair,’’ Prof. Muwanga used that analogy to explain her point.
She also said that other political parties are watching in ‘Kirasher’ while the ruling party is deciding everything as regards to the general election because there’s no dialogue whatsoever and no plan for the transition government.
“ I predict chaos, violence and anarchy in the forthcoming general elections if leveling of the playing field is not done in this remaining period.’’ Prof. Muwanga said.
The University don also called on government to start funding all political parties in the country so as to have a proper political checks and balance.
According to the of voting area demarcation management Ahmed Ochama, the polling stations are going to be increased from the current 34,684 to more than 40,000 and this is due to the new constituencies that are going to be created because of increase in population and the new political areas like cities and municipalities created in the recent past.