Electoral Commission Hails Successful LC1 Village Elections Despite Isolated Disruptions:Fresh Voter Registration And Repeat Polls Announced In Affected Villages.Justice Simon Byabakama Warns
The Electoral Commission has described the recently concluded LC1 village elections as a success, saying the overwhelming voter turnout reflects Ugandans' commitment to choosing their leaders. While voting was successfully conducted in most villages across the country, the commission has announced fresh registration and repeat polls in areas affected by violence or tampered voter registers.
The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Justice Simon Byabakama, has praised Ugandans for actively participating in the LC1 village elections, saying the exercise demonstrated that citizens understand the importance of democratic leadership.
Justice Byabakama said the majority of registered voters across the country turned up to cast their ballots, with polling successfully conducted in more than 70,000 villages.
However, he acknowledged that a few areas experienced violence and other disruptions that affected the voting process.
He explained that elections in areas where voting failed, but where election materials and voter registers were not tampered with, have been rescheduled for today. In villages where polling did not take place because of violence but the voter registers remained intact, elections will instead be held on 1st August.
The Electoral Commission has also received numerous petitions from across the country regarding the conduct of the elections. As a result, the Commission has ordered fresh voter registration in villages where the registers were tampered with, beginning tomorrow. The updated registers will be displayed on 31st July, ahead of voting on 1st August.
Justice Byabakama appealed to all candidates, voters, political leaders, and other stakeholders in the affected areas to cooperate and ensure that the fresh elections are conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law. He further warned individuals planning to incite violence or disrupt the electoral process that they will face the full force of the law, stressing that the Commission remains committed to delivering free, fair, and credible elections.
