FDC protests ballot paper format

Daily Monitor's  Sheila Naturinda reports that FDC is uncomfortable with the way names appear on the ballot

Kampala

The Forum for Democratic Change has protested and questioned the format the Electoral Commission has used to arrange candidates’ names on the presidential ballot papers.

The provisional ballot paper, seen by this newspaper, has People’s Development party candidate, Abed Bwanika’s name at the top, while incumbent President Museveni is at the bottom.

Dr Bwanika is followed by FDC’s Kizza Besigye. Uganda Federal Alliance’s Beti Kamya’s name comes third, Norbert Mao of the Democratic Party is fourth, followed by Bidandi Ssali of the Peoples’ Progressive Party on the lineup that also sees Olara Otunnu in sixth and independent Sam Lubega preceding candidate Museveni.

The petition
In their December 30 letter to the EC, the opposition seeks to know “how the names were arranged to appear on the ballot paper.” They, however, do not give their preferences.

Ballot papers for the February 17 and 18 polls are expected in the country in a fortnight. According to EC secretary Sam Rwakoojo, the format of putting names on the ballot paper depends on how candidates present their names to the commission during nomination.

“We cannot arrange the names for them because we don’t know which of those names is a first name or not,” Mr Rwakoojo said.

On January 3, the commission replied to the FDC in a letter signed by EC chairman, Dr Badru Kiggundu.


“The order is done in accordance with section 12(1)(b) of the Electoral Commission Act, 1997 as amended.” It adds: “And in line with the preferences made by the candidates on their nomination particulars.”

EC to the dock
Meanwhile. the EC confirmed receiving the court plaint by FDC suit over failure to issue voters’ cards and said they are in the process of filing their defence.


“If you insist on having voters’ cards, that could be a recipe for disfranchising voters who have lost their cards,” Mr Rwakoojo said. The case will be heard on January 12 before Justice Eldad Mwangushya.

Besigye advises on how to defeat NRM

Daily Monitor's Dan Wandera reports in this Tuesday article about Dr. Kizza Besigye giving tips on how to humiliate Museveni and his NRM at the polls

Luweero

The Inter-Party Cooperation presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, has told Luweero voters to watch and defend the ballot box after casting the vote as the only means of defeating the NRM.

Dr Besigye, who was addressing Zirobwe and Bamunanika Sub-county residents at his campaign rallies, said circumstances have forced the NRM to abandon other rigging methods but the open and most prominent method --rigging at the ballot box.

“You must watch keenly what takes place at the ballot box after casting the vote. We are sure that the NRM is going but the ballot box must be secure,’’ he said at a rally in Bamunanika.

The FDC leader said he would not be intimidated by threats of arrest because of announcing results to his people, saying the electoral laws are clear. “Why are these people panicking when it comes to declaring the result? We shall do it as it is within the law to ensure that our people get to know the real results of victory,’’ he said.

He added that the NRM party that has turned out to be a party of relatives has lost moral authority for governance because of the widespread corruption in most of the government institutions.

Dr Besigye, who made a stopover at Bamunanika Police Post and directed his supporters to paste his poster alongside those of the NRM candidates, said the police was supposed to be neutral and incase they allowed posters then all candidates from different political parties should be allowed to have theirs displayed.

Reforms are needed to ensure success in 2011 polls

In this commentary published in Daily Monitor on Monday, Mr. Alexander Ndiku argues that serious reforms are antecedent to peaceful elections

Following the articles entitled, ‘Museveni vows to arrest Besigye’ and ‘Polls: Besigye hits back at Museveni’ in Daily Monitor of December 22 and December 23 respectively, the declarations made by both parties do not advocate ‘rule of law nor promote democratic principles’ as enshrined in the 1995 Constitution. Dr Kizza Besigye declared intent to gather election results from polling stations and announce them. In response, Mr Yoweri Kaguta Museveni declared he would arrest Dr Besigye in the event of doing so.

The 1995 Constitution Chapter 5 (section 60), states the obligations mandated to the EC, among which, is to organise, conduct and supervise elections as well as ascertain, publish and declare results of the elections. It is also stated that, the EC in its performance of duties as mandated must be independent and fair.

Uganda’s election history begins in 1958 when the first EC comprising local elders and traditional leaders was set up. Under this EC, several elections were conducted, including the Limited African/Uganda Franchise and Representation to the Legislative Council (Legco) of 1958. On June 25, 1980, the chairman of the Military Commission Paulo Muwanga (RIP) established the an EC and between December 10 and 11 December 1980, a Commission headed by K.M. Kikira as chairperson was set-up. The EC organised and conducted the 1980 elections in which UPC emerged as the winner.

On February 6, 1981, Mr Yoweri Museveni (now NRM presidential candidate for 2011 elections) declared war on the UPC government, citing rigging of 1980 elections. For more than a decade later, no direct elections were held.

On December 21, 1988, the enactment of the Statute No.5 of the 1988 led to the establishment of the Constitutional Commission mandated with processing and developing of the new constitution. Under Statute No. 6 of 1993, the Commission for the Constituent Assembly was established headed by Mr Steven B. Akabway as the chairman. The Commission organised and conducted the CA elections in March 1994.

After the promulgation of the Constitution in October 1995, Statute 3 of 1996 enabled the establishment of an Interim Electoral Commission (IEC). The IEC was set-up headed by Mr Steven B. Akabway as the chairman. IEC organised and conducted the 1996 general elections.

In May 1997, Parliament enacted the Electoral Commission Act 1997 which established a permanent Electoral Commission but also provided for presidential powers to appoint, with the approval of Parliament, the EC chaired by Hajji Aziz K. Kasujja was set-up and organised and conducted 2001 general elections. On November 18, 2002, Eng. Badru M. Kiggundu was appointed another EC chairman and he manned the 2006 elections.

In both the 2001 and 2006 general elections, Dr Besigye claimed to have won the polls, but cited vote rigging to have denied him victory. In 2006, the Supreme Court found poll irregularities but concluded that such irregularities could not have changed the outcome.

The failure to abide by the rule of law is among the many causes of recurrent poor governance in this country. The manner in which our political leaders embrace the law to suit themselves remains a challenge to our democracy.

In a situation where the EC seems not to be able to perform its duties as mandated by the Constitution, it should be disbanded and a new one instituted.

Mr Ndiku is a Ugandan civil engineer living in Johannesburg, South Africa
nmbaraga@gmail.com

Yes, Besigye can legally announce poll results

In this star letter published on Thursday, a Daily Monitor reader justifies Dr. Kizza Besigye's plan to  announce the election results

As the country prepares for the forthcoming presidential elections, it is important for us to consider the question as to whether it is possible for Dr Kizza Besigye [the Inter-Party Cooperation] presidential flag bearer to announce election results.

The answer is a big yes because the results are announced to the public at every polling station immediately after voting has ended. This is in accordance with the Constitution which states in Article 68 as follows:

l Immediately after the close of the poll, the presiding officer shall proceed to count the votes at the polling station, the ballot papers of that station and record the votes cast in favour of each candidate.

l The presiding officer, the candidates or their representatives if any, shall sign and retain a copy of a declaration stating:

- the polling station.

- the number of votes cast in favour of every candidate.

The presiding officer shall then announce the results of voting at that polling station before communicating them to the returning officer.

What Dr Besigye or any other presidential candidate needs to do is to have a representative at each polling station.

The representative will retain a copy of the form bearing the results which copy will have been signed by the presiding officer and countersigned by the candidates’ representative present.

On the basis of the copies collected at all polling stations, the results can be totalled or tallied. There is no big deal in tallying of results.

Incidentally, it is advisable for the NRM to also have a parallel vote tally. This will help them to have an independent source of information and to track the elections.

I have on many occasions advised political parties and others interested in doing a national tally of results that they must ensure that they have representatives at each polling station.

Secondly, when they have tallied their results, they should be calm and avoid excitement until the Electoral Commission announces the official results.

Another caution is that the parties should avoid relaying the results using sms messages. A tally of results in a situation like ours must be based on hard copies signed by the presiding officers or else it can result in unnecessary tensions which may lead to violence.

If anyone feels that the results have been falsified, the solution is to go to court and use the results compiled by the aggrieved side as evidence. This is the civilised way of solving election disputes.

David Byakutaga,
dbyakutaga@yahoo.com

Besigye asks opposition to unite and take power

They say unity can break the hardest bone; Dr. Kizza Besigye has said the unity of the opposition is what will dislodge the ruling NRM, reports Daily Monitor's Steven Komakech & Steven Ariong
 
Kitgum/Kaabong

The Inter- Party Cooperation presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, has called for unity among the political opposition parties if they want to dislodge the ruling NRM from power.

While addressing a rally at Boma Ground in Kitgum at the weekend, Dr Besigye said unity will enable them to speak with one voice in quest for votes to bring change.

Dr Besigye urged voters to be the rightful engine to drive for change through a vibrant leader like him. “Be wise to elect a leader who will bring the desired change,” he said. If elected to office, Dr Besigye said, his priority would be to reconstruct the north which has lagged behind in development.

The Uganda Peoples Congress Party presidential candidate, Mr Olara Otunnu, withdrew from the IPC citing failure by the Forum for Democratic Change party to follow principles. Mr Norbert Mao’s Democratic Party also did not buy into the idea of a political coalition.

Mr Otunnu said the FDC and other opposition political parties like the Conservative Party and the Social Democratic Party, had not kept the promise to dislodge the Electoral Commission headed by Dr Badru Kiggundu.

On his visit to St. Joseph Hospital Kitgum, Dr Besigye handed over food items like sugar, bread and soap worth about Shs600,000 to patients.

While witnessing the handover, Kitgum Hospital Medical Superintendent Alex Layoo thanked Besigye for his generosity. “This donation does not mean we are partisan, we welcome anybody who wants to help our community,” Dr Layoo said.

While addressing a rally in Kaabong last Friday, the IPC presidential flag bear said if he wins the election, he would get another team to help the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee to re-audit Chogm and Global Fund money which he says has been mismanaged by President Museveni’s friends.

Used elsewhere
He said this money would have helped the country fund priority areas like health, education, transport and agriculture.

“This is a clear sign of segregation, you don’t arrest people because they are your in-laws, friends and yet they have committed crimes but you only order arrests of those who commit crimes and not related to you,” he said.

Dr Besigye, who is contesting for the highest office in the land for the third time, will be in Gulu District on Thursday.

Opposition should read ‘The Prince’ by Nicolo Machiavelli

In this interesting piece published in Daily Monitor, yesterday, Mr. Sam Akaki argues that reading 'The Prince' could greatly benefit IPC

Your story, “IPC says government training militia”, published on December 7, has prompted me to send Dr Kizza Besigye a special Christmas gift in the form of The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli. I hope he will find time to read and pass it to all presidential candidates, given his proven determination to build opposition co-operation.

You would be forgiven for thinking that Machiavelli had dedicated Chapter 14 of The Prince to Uganda’s opposition presidential candidates in the 2011 election, when he said: “To exercise the intellect the prospective prince should read histories, and study there the actions of illustrious men, to examine the causes of their victories and defeat, so as to avoid the latter and imitate the former; and above all, do as an illustrious man (like Museveni) did to become a prince!”

Machiavelli told the Ugandan opposition presidential candidates: “Among other evils which being unarmed brings you, it causes you to be despised, and this is one of those ignominies against which a prince ought to guard himself, because there is nothing proportionate between the armed and the unarmed; and it is not reasonable that he who is armed should yield obedience willingly to him who is unarmed, or that the unarmed man should be secure among armed servants.”

Of course Ms Margaret Wokuri, director for publicity and communication at the IPC campaign bureau, was right to issue a statement on the “militia in different places in the country”. However, she should also be realistic and recognise that Machiavelli may have written his book in 1505, but its basic message is relevant to the 2011 election. She should get hold of the book, photocopy and distribute to all IPC leaders. For any presidential candidate to ignore Machiavelli’s message is to engage in a monumental self delusion.

Sam Akaki,FDC International Envoy to the UK and the European Union, London