Village youths leaders want EC to reduce voting time

Luweero, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT  The newly elected Village Youths Committee leaders and voters have asked the Electoral Commission to reduce the voting hours in the next round of elections for Special Interest Groups.

The youth leaders say that the time allotted during the election of village youth committees on Monday was unfavourable and affected their ability to participate in the exercise. The election was held between 8 a.m and 2 p.m But the youth leaders want the election to be limited to only two hours running between 8-10 a.m. to attract and retain a sizeable number of voters during elections.

Brian Ssemyalo, the newly elected Youth Chairperson of Kavule Youths Committee says that several youths failed to participate in Village Youths Committee elections on Monday over the long hours spent before actual voting was done.

Ssemyalo said he mobilized over 70 youths who turned up in the morning to vote but more than 30 of them gave up and left the polling station before elections were conducted citing work pressures. He says that the polling officials kept them waiting until after 1 p.m. for the elections to be held.

Nuluyiat Nakanjako, the newly elected secretary for Women affairs at Kiwogozi Youth Committee says that the youths are daily earners and can’t spend half of the day waiting for polls. Nakanjako says that if long hours are to be maintained, EC should reconsider and they vote by secret ballot like in general elections which allow each person to vote at a convenient time.

Caleb Bamulesewo, a youth at Kiwogozi village says that members of Special Interest Groups are fewer and should, therefore, be allowed to convene and vote before midday so that they can return to their respective offices. Bamulesewo says that many eligible voters may not turn up in next parish elections.

Denis Ssekabira, a coordinator for National Unity Platform asked the Electoral Commission to popularize the next elections and revise the time for voting to attract many participants.

But Denis Wanda, a presiding officer for Kiwogozi Polling Station defended the time frame saying it gives all voters to a chance to participate in elections. Wanda says that conducting the exercise for short time may disenfranchise others.

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URN