By Damba Rogers
Local
electoral observers are calling on the Ugandan govt to fully involve citizens
in the whole process of the coming 2021 general elections.
Speaking in
a three days meeting on strengthening citizens engagement in elections going on
in Entebbe, the executive director, NGO Forum, Richard Ssewakiryanga says, the programme is strongly aimed at
reminding state departments that free and fair elections are always a true
reflection of full citizen participation and the 2021 exercise should be a true
representative of this.
However, the
national coordinator, CEDDU, Chrispy
Kaheru is already challenging the electoral commission for not engaging
citizens in the process which started in April this year by demarcating electoral
areas.
Kaheru warns that if all heads the same
direction, then the whole process will end up losing meaning as a big number of
citizens are likely to miss out on the final exercise.
The
chairperson Uganda parliamentary forum on youth, Hon. Adeke Anna Ebaju is tasking Ugandans to pile pressure on govt to
see that it tables the long awaited electoral reforms before the country hold
the 2021 general elections.
Basing on
the electoral cases filed in court by various candidates among them being, Hon.
Patrick Amama Mbabazi, Male Mabirizi with the final judgments
ordering govt to come up with electoral reforms as a means of averting the
misconducts that marred the 2016 polls, it still not clear whether govt is
willing to have the reforms before 2021.
Addressing a
meeting strategizing for the 2021 exercise today, Hon. Adeke reminded the citizens that the current regime seems not to
care much about what the citizens want but only cares about what it wants so
long as it is kept in power.
She says,
many policies that are pro govt are tabled and passed in time but those that
are anti govt are always waiting on the shelves and hence the need to put
pressure on the justice and constitution affairs ministry to have the reforms
tabled.
Meanwhile,
the executive director, great lakes institute, Godber Tomushabe reveals that there is s need to help govt
departments and agencies get out of captivity as the only way Uganda will get
the desired electoral results out of a free and affair process.
At the three
days meeting, a number of CSOs and NGOs advocating for democracy, free and fair
elections across the country will deliberate on how they are to re-energize the
masses to get involved in the 2021 polls.
END