ANT calls for more civic education to voters

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Alliance for National Transformations – ANT has called for more civic education to be be carried out by the Electoral Commission ahead of the 2021 election.

The party says they noticed lots of gaps while collecting signatures for their presidential candidate Gen. Mugisha Muntu.

Addressing the press at the party headquarters in Kampala today, the party’s Electoral Commission boss Dan Mugarura says that they were forced to go back and collect other signatures after the Electoral Commission – EC rejected some of their signatures after some people signed for their candidate and other candidates at the same time.

Mugarura also says that some voters from newly formed districts are still confused about boundaries and hence associate with former districts or constituents other than new ones where they belong.

He further adds that due to commercialization of political processes, some voters were asking for bribes before appending their signatures while some feared that if they sign, they shall be committing crime and would be targeted by security agencies.

Mugarura attributed the challenges to insufficient civic education which he says should be conducted by the Electoral Commission.

According to the party spokesperson Wilberforce Sseryanzi, the party submitted signatures from 130 districts and by Tuesday this week, signatures from 101 districts had been cleared.

A candidate is required to collect at least 100 signatures from at least two thirds of the districts in the country. He said they await nomination of their candidate on November 2nd after he was cleared by EC and issued with a certificate.

Andrew Katabarwa, the party coordinator from Ankole who participated in the collection of signatures also says he noticed a gap in civic education. For instance, voters signing for more candidates and others providing National ID number instead of NIN number was a case of ignorance that Katabarwa says should be addressed through civic education.

Malcom James Ssewanyana who is contesting for Makindye Mayor seat on the ANT ticket says that the clearance of their candidate is a great step in this contest and that now, they are headed for seeking Mugisha Muntu’s election. He says that as he campaigns in his constituency, he shall campaign for his president such that they get the win.

Having completed nominations for Members of Parliament, the Electoral Commission shall conduct the nomination exercise for presidential aspirants on 2nd and 3rd October 2020.

All candidates are restricted to come with 9 people at the nomination venue at Kyambogo University. Officials from different political parties and the commission are meeting today to agree on the number of people who can be part of their procession as they head for nomination.

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