EC sued for locking out over one million new voters
Top officials. Electoral Commission chairman Simon Byamukama (C), his deputy Aisha Lubega (R) and the Commission spokesperson, Mr Jotham Taremwa, (L) arrive for a press conference at the EC offices in Kampala in 2017. PHOTO | RACHEL MABALA.
What you need to know:
- Ms Nagami states that the exercise of updating the voters register has been extended twice for various reasons which included weather and allowing those who had not met the deadline to also participate in the exercise.
- She further states that the actions of EC closing the exercise of updating the National voters’ Register a year before the general elections disenfranchises many Ugandan citizens who have turned eighteen years in 2020.
Electoral Commission (EC) has been dragged to the High Court for locking out over one million Ugandans who have just turned 18 year of age from participating in the coming general elections.
In her law suit filed before court Wednesday, Ms Gloria Linda Nagami, a human rights lawyer, through PACE Advocates is seeking a court order to have the register reviewed to include this group of new voters.
Ms Nagami who also sued the Attorney General (AG) states that EC’s conduct of closing the exercise of updating the voters register one year before the general elections, amounts to exclusion of the persons who turned 18 between December 2019 and February 2020.
She now wants court declare that EC’s conduct of depriving them of this right is illegal as it infringes their fundamental rights and is a violation of articles 21 and 159 of the constitution.
“Several attempts have been made to the second respondent (EC) to reopen the update exercise in vain,” Ms Nagami contends.
In a letter dated July 6, 2020 addressed to EC’s chairperson with an interim of three days response, Ms Nagami asked for a quick proposal to rectify the said abuse of rights promptly. However, she waited in vain.
“That I know that the respondent is mandated with functions among which include to ensure that regular, free and fair elections are held, to organise, conduct, supervise elections and referenda and to compile, maintain, revise and update the voters register,” reads in part the court documents.
Ms Nagami states that the exercise of updating the voters register has been extended twice for various reasons which included weather and allowing those who had not met the deadline to also participate in the exercise.
She further states that the actions of EC closing the exercise of updating the National voters’ Register a year before the general elections disenfranchises many Ugandan citizens who have turned eighteen years in 2020.
