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DP Warns Against Reorganisation Of Polling Centres

Opposition political party Democratic Party has condemned the Electoral Commission over their plan to create new polling stations in the country in preparation for the 2016 elections.

By Kenneth Kazibwe 1 hour ago

Mao whispering to Museveni at a recent function

DP said this is one of the tricks used by the NRM government to rig votes.

 

This was revealed by the party president Norbert Mao at a weekly press conference held at the party headquarters in Kampala on Tuesday.

 

"We strongly object to the decision by the electoral commission to create new polling stations because it's a plot by the NRM government to rig votes in advance through creation of ghost polling stations," noted Mao.

 

He therefore called for the national census to be carried out before polling stations are created in the country noting that it's the national census to show the number of people who are supposed to vote and decide the number of polling stations to be put in place.

 

"The electoral commission serves the voters and not the candidates," warned the Democratic Party president, adding, there needs to be a comprehensive electoral process in the country if free and fair elections are to be held come 2016.

 

"DP believes in free and fair elections but we don't have conditions for such elections in Uganda," added Mao who announced that the 5 opposition political parties of DP, FDC, JEEMA, CP AND UPC are soon coming together  and discuss electoral reforms in the country before the 2016 elections. 

 

However, the Electoral Commission chairman Eng Badru Kiggundu says the demarcation and reorganization of polling areas is "solely about reorganization."

 

"In the process, some stations will be merged, some will be split while others for some reasons might be completely eliminated," he said

 

On August 1, the Commission approved the nationwide program of demarcation of electoral areas in new districts and countrywide reorganization of polling stations.

 

The process expected to last 8 days from August 19 to 25, is aimed at ensuring that polling stations have manageable voters not exceeding 900.

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