By our reporter
The chairman Uganda electoral commission Justice Simon Byabakama has today announced that tomorrow kicks off the exercise for electing local councils and women council leaders across the country with the exercise starting with voter registration at village level.
The commission confirms at a news conference today at its head offices in Kampala that starting 26th to 30th October this year all eligible voters should visit their area polling areas for registration emphasising that rules for someone to register include, turning up in person at registration centres within the village of residence to register, willing person must be a citizen of Uganda who is also ordinarily resident in the village of registration, must be willing to be a member of the village council and in the case of women councils, the candidate must be a female as well as those who register in for women council elections must be females.
The purpose of the registration exercise is to enable all willing village residents to register in order to participate in the upcoming elections.
The commission maintains only those above 18 years are allowed to register among other key points.
Further the commission notes that it has already set parish tribunal to handle electoral emerging issues before anyone can refer the case to the magistrate grade one court as spelt in section 168 in the local governments Act.
With the registration done, the only two days, 30th October and 1st November have been designated for voter register display with this exercise aimed at eliminating the dead, under aged and those who might have shifted to other areas.
Acts of violence during the exercise are strongly condemned by the commission and assure that anyone caught violating the rules of the exercise will face the law but further emphasizes that the polling will still be lining up behind the candidates in the 59,624 villages across the country.
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