Electoral Commission gives update for Conduct of Women Councils and Committees Elections and Other Electoral-related Activities

Denzel Shantel June 1, 2022 2:45 pm

The Electoral Commission Chairman Justice Simon Byabakama has updated the nation on the upcoming Women Councils and Committees Elections 2022 and Administrative Units (LCI & LC 2).

During the address, he said The Commission will issue the list to political parties and organizations to enable them prepare for presenting of candidates during the conduct of Women Councils and Committees Elections to be held this year (2022) and Administrative Units (LC1 & LC2) Elections which will be held in 2023.

Justice Byabakama said the candidates’ campaigns for election of the Village Women Committee will be conducted from 4th to 6th July 2022. The Commission has appointed Thursday 7th July 2022 as polling day for election of the five (5) members of Village Women Committee. 1/2

During the address, the chairman said the Commission successful conducted the Omoro County elections last week. Below is the full address from the Electoral Commission Chairman;

Introduction

Our esteemed partners, members of the press, it is my privilege and pleasure to welcome you to our press briefing.

Today, the Commission would like to update you and the general public concerning the programme for Women Councils and Committees Elections and other electoral-related activities, as follows:

Finalization of the Countrywide Verification of Administrative Units (Villages and Parishes)

In preparation for the conduct of Women Councils and Committees Elections 2022 and Administrative Units (LC 1 & LC 2) Elections 2023, the Electoral Commission conducted a countrywide exercise to compare, verify, harmonise and confirm all administrative units (villages/cells, parishes/wards and sub-counties).

The exercise was conducted from 16^th March to 27^th March 2022, and the Electoral Commission, in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government, have finalized the processing of the returns.

The purpose of the exercise was to update the list of Villages, Parishes and Sub-counties in the country upon which the Women Councils and Committees Elections of 2022 and the Administrative Units (LC 1 & LC 2) Elections of 2023, will be based, in accordance with Section 7 of the Local Government Act, Cap 243.

Accordingly, the number of Administrative Units in Uganda for purposes of conducting the Women Councils and Committees Elections, 2022 will be as follows:

No.	Level	Statistics
1.	Districts/Cities	146
2.	Sub Counties/Town Councils/Municipal Divisions	2,191
3.	Parishes/Wards	10,692
4.	Village/cells	71,255

The Commission will issue the list to political parties and organizations to enable them prepare for presenting of candidates during the conduct of Women Councils and Committees Elections to be held this year (2022) and Administrative Units (LC1 & LC2) Elections which will be held in 2023.

The Commission will also publish the harmonized and updated list of Administrative Units onto the website for public access.

3.0 Programme for the Conduct of Women Councils and Committees Elections

The current Women Councils and Committees were elected during the period June – August 2018, and the Executive Committee of the National Women’s Council was constituted on 23^rd– 24 August 2018.

According to the National Women’s Council Act, the terms of office of the said Councils and Committees is four (4) years, implying their term will elapse in August 2022.

Accordingly, the Electoral Commission did earlier issue the programme for the elections of Women Councils and Committees Elections from the Village to the National level as follows:

No	Activity	Period
	Village/Cell Level
1.	Compilation of Village Women’s Register	10^th – 13^th June 2022
2.	Display of the Women’s Register at the Village level	23^rd – 24^th June 2022
3.	Nomination of candidates at the Sub County Headquarters	27^th June-1^st July 2022
4.	Candidates’ Campaigns for election of the Village Women Committee	4^th– 6^th July 2022
5.	Polling Day for election of five (5) members of Village Women Committee (lining, counting, filling forms and declaration)	7^th July 2022
Parish/Ward Level
1.	Compilation of the Parish/Ward Women Council Registers	8^th – 9^th July 2022
2.	Display of Parish/Ward Women Council Registers	11^th – 12^th July 2022
3.	Nomination of Candidates for Parish/Ward Women Committees	13^th– 14^th July 2022
4.	Candidates’ Campaigns for Parish/Ward Women Committees	18^th– 20^th July 2022
5.	Polling Day for election of Parish/Ward Women Committees	22^nd July 2022
City Division/Sub-County/Town Council/Municipal Division Level
1.	Compilation of City/Sub-County/Town/Municipal Div. Women’s Registers	23^rd July 2022
2.	Display of City Div./Sub County/Town/Municipal Div. Women’s Registers	25^th– 26^thJuly 2022
3.	Nomination of candidates (City Division/Sub-County/Town /Municipal Div. Committee)	27^th – 28^th July 2022
4.	Candidates’ campaigns (City Division/Sub-County/Town /Municipal Div. Committee)	29^th July-1^st Aug 2022
5.	Polling Day: election of City Div./Sub-County/Town/Municipal Div. Women Committee	2^nd August 2022
District/City Level
1.	Compilation of District/City Women Registers	3^rd August 2022
2.	Display of District/City Women Registers	4^th-5^th August 2022
3.	Nomination of Candidates for District/City Women Committees	5^th August 2022
4.	Candidates’ Campaigns for District/City Women Committees	8^th-11^th August 2022
5.	Polling Day for Election of District/City Women Committees	12^th August 2022
National Conference for Election of the National Women Committee
1.	National Conference for National Women Committee Elections (Display of register, nomination of candidates, campaigns, voting, counting & declaration of results)	22^nd-23^rd August 2022

The Commission wishes to highlight the following key activities that will be undertaken at the village level, which forms the basis for the conduct of the elections in a progressive manner up to the national level.

Compilation of Register for Election of Village Women Executive Committees 10^th– 13^th June 2022

In preparation for the Women Councils and Committees Elections, the Electoral Commission will compile a register of willing female residents in each village throughout Uganda from Friday 10^th June to Monday 13^th June 2022.

The purpose of this registration exercise is to enable all willing female residents aged 18 years and above, to register in order to participate in the above elections within their respective villages.

The registration will be conducted from 7:00am until 6:00pm on each of the appointed dates, including weekends.

All stakeholders are urged to note the following:

Eligible and willing female residents aged 18 years and above shall turn up in person at the registration centre within the village of residence to register;

The registration exercise shall be for the sole purpose of electing the Village Women’s Executive Committee;

The village women residents shall be registered in a customized Register Book provided by the Electoral Commission;

For one to register in the Village Women Residents Register, she must fulfill the following requirements;
1. Must be a citizen of Uganda, who is ordinarily resident in the Village of registration;

Must be eighteen (18) years of age and above at the time of registration;

Must be willing to be a member of the Village Council;

A person appearing for registration shall be required to provide the following particulars to the Village Election Official:
1. Names;
2. National Identity Number or Application ID Number,

Age,

Gender, and,
Village of Residence.

e) The registration exercise shall be free of charge.

The Commission has further appointed Monday 13^th June 2022, as the cut-off date for registration of female village residents. Hence, the registration of female residents in each village throughout Uganda will not be conducted after this date.

Display of the Village Female Residents Register, 23^rd– 24^th June 2022

The display of the Register will be from 23^rd – 24^th June 2022 in all the villages across the country.

The display of the above Registers shall begin at 8:00am and end at 6:00pm at the designated public/open place in the respective village.

During the display, the voters are urged to turn up in large numbers and check for the correctness of their particulars, such as names, National ID Number or Application ID Number, age, gender and village of residence.

Residents are further urged to report to the Village Election Official the following categories of persons for removal from the Registers:

The under-aged, and,
Those who do not reside in the village.

Composition of the Village Women’s Committee

The Village Women’s Committee shall consist of the following five (5) positions:

Chairperson;
Vice Chairperson;
Secretary;
Publicity Secretary; and
Secretary for Finance.

Nomination of Candidates for the Women Councils Elections at the Village Level, 27^thJune to 1^st July 2022

The nomination of candidates for Village Women Executive Committees will be conducted from 27^th June to 1^st July 2022 at the respective Sub County/City Division Headquarters’.

An aspiring candidate for any office on the Women’s Committee shall be a female ordinarily resident in the village, aged eighteen (18) years of age or above and a citizen of Uganda.
An aspiring candidate shall be registered on the Village Women’s Council Register.

No academic qualifications shall be required. Furthermore, no nomination fee shall be required.

Nomination of candidates may be made by a political party/organization sponsoring a candidate or by a candidate standing for elections as an independent candidate without being sponsored by a political party or political organization.

The conduct of Women Councils/Committees Elections are progressive in nature starting at Village and ending at National Level.
This means that for one to be elected at National Level, she should have been successfully elected right from Village level.

Please note that no one can join the subsequent electoral processes if she did not participate at the Village Level.

Resignation by Public Servants

Section 7A of the National Women’s Act [Cap 318] provides that; “Under the multiparty political system, nomination of candidates may be made by a [political organisation or a political party sponsoring a candidate…”

However, the Political Parties and Organisation Act [18 of 2005] prohibits public officers among others from being members of a Political Party or standing for elections under sponsorship of a political party or organisation.

Section 4(4) of the Parliamentary Elections Act [Cap 17 of 2005] and Section 116(5) of the Local Governments Act, Cap 243 also prohibit public servants among others from seeking elective offices. For those who wish to, they shall have to resign.

So all public Officers who wish to participate in Women Councils and Committees Elections shall be expected to resign before seeking for nomination as candidates.

Conduct of Campaigns and Polling

The candidates’ campaigns for election of the Village Women Committee will be conducted from 4^thto 6^th July 2022.

The Commission has appointed Thursday 7^th July 2022 as polling day for election of the five (5) members of Village Women Committee;

The election of members of the Village Women Committee shall be by the electorate lining up behind the nominated candidates, their representatives, portraits or symbols.

Voting shall take place in a public/open place within the village, starting at 9:00am.

Observance of Standard Operating Procedures

All persons participating in the elections shall be required to comply with guidelines issued by the Electoral Commission in accordance with the Government of Uganda and Ministry of Health measures against the spread of COVID-19.

This includes observing social distancing, hand washing, and wearing of masks.

Conclusion of Parliamentary and Local Government Councils Elections in Omoro County Constituency, Omoro District

The Electoral Commission conducted and successfully concluded the by-election for Member of Parliament for Omoro County, District Woman Councillor for Lakwaya/Lalogi Electoral Area on Thursday 26^th May 2022.

Please note that Oryema Terence (National Resistance Movement) had been declared elected unopposed at the closure of nominations on 13^th May 2022, as Male Councillor for Older Persons representing Acet Town Council.

The Electoral Commission has declared and published in the Gazette the winning candidates for the three elective positions:

No.	Name	Political Party	Elective Position
1.	Ojok Andrew Oulanyah (NRM)	NRM	Member of Parliament, Omoro County
2.	Lalam Florence	NRM	District Woman Councillor for Lakwaya/Lalogi Electoral Area
3.	Oryema Terence	NRM	Male Councillor for Older Persons, Acet Town Council.

The Commission salutes the people of Omoro County on the exercise of their constitutional rights by participating in the by-elections and in a peaceful manner.

The Commission has noted statements in the media, attributed to some of the stakeholders who participated in the by-elections, alleging that the electoral exercise was not fairly conducted.

The Commission recognizes the right of the concerned stakeholders to disagree with the result of the said by-elections. We, wish to state that the by-elections were conducted in accordance with the Law and the guidelines for the exercise.

Furthermore, the Commission established a Complaints Desk which received and addressed any matters of concern that were raised and brought to our attention during polling.

Concerning the matter of low voter turn-up, the Commission notes that this is a common phenomenon in previous by-elections, as illustrated in the table below:

No.	Elective Position	Constituency	District	Polling Date	Reg. Voters	Turn Out	% Turn Out
1.	Member of Parliament	Kyadondo Cty East	Wakiso	29/06/2017	72,818	33,310	45.7%
2.	Member of Parliament	Bugiri Municipality	Bugiri	27/07/2018	16,222	8,284	51.1%
3.	District Chairperson	Kayunga	Kayunga	16/12/2021	190,921	66,279	34.7%
4.	Member of Parliament	Omoro County	Omoro	26/05/2022	38,638	17,069	44.2%

It remains our joint responsibility as the Commission, and as stakeholders, to mobilise the electorate to exercise their constitutional rights and participate in electing their leaders.

Political Parties and organisations are particularly urged to mobilise their supporters to turn up on polling day and vote for their candidates.

11.2 Conclusion

The Commission urges all eligible women to turn up in high numbers and exercise their right to elect leaders of their choice at the above elective levels.

On behalf of the Commission, I take this opportunity to congratulate the people of Uganda and all believers in God on the auspicious occasion of Martyrs Day, on 3^rd June 2022, when we remember and celebrate the resolute faith of our Martyrs.

May their faithful witness continue to inspire us in our faith and service to God and to our country.

For God and My Country,

Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon

Chairperson, Electoral Commission

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