The Uganda Electoral Commission has announced that a total of 13,954,129 Ugandans have been registered to vote in the 2011 general elections.
The Electoral Commission Chairman, Eng. Dr. Badru Kiggundu says the national voters register is complete and all polling stations have been issues with their respective voters registers.
He says despite concerns from several stakeholders over the none issuance of voters cards to some registered voters, the electoral commission will allow all people who are registered to vote.
Kiggundu says only registered voters will be allowed to vote at the polling station where they are registered, and this shall include persons whose particulars and photographs appear on the National Voters’ Register, whether they have a Voters’ Card or not, as per Section 34 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, (as amended).
He says according to Section 35 of the Presidential Elections Act (as amended), a person who has a Voters’ Card and whose particulars appear on the National Voters’ Register, but whose photograph is missing, shall also be allowed to vote, after proper identification.
The Electoral Commission in a press statement says non issuance of voters cards is due to the fact that all regiered voters are going to be given National Identity Cards under another government project currently being run by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The President of the People’s Development Party, Dr. Abed Bwanika who is competing in the presidential elections says the opposition cannot trust the results of elections where voters have no voters cards. He says this will open room for all people; include underage and foreigners to vote.
Other opposition leaders like Dr. Kizza Besigye of the Inter party Colaition/ Forum for Democratic Change says the over 14 million voters on the register is an inflated number given that Uganda has an estimated population of 32 million people, 51% of whom are below 15years.
But Kiggundu insists that the national voters register is accurate and population estimates are not accurate like the voters register which resulted from nationwide system registration of people for the voting exercise in 2011.
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