KAMPALA – Justice Simon Byabakama, the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson has revealed that as part of the preparations for the conduct of the 2020/2021 General Elections, the commission shall conduct field activities for the purpose of demarcating the newly created Constituencies.
Parliament of Uganda did, on July 30, 2020, prescribe that the number of Directly-elected Members of the 11th Parliament shall be three hundred and fifty-three (353), hence Constituencies for purposes of the 2020/2021 General Elections.
According to Byabakama, the exercise will commence on Monday, August 31, 2020 until Friday, September 4, 2020.
“The activities will involve conducting consultative meetings with stakeholders in each district to confirm Administrative Units that constitute the Counties, City Divisions and Municipalities and defining boundaries of these units,” he said in a statement.
He noted that the results from the field will form the primary data for the demarcation of the 353 Parliamentary Constituencies.
“During the above period, the Electoral Commission will also conduct the demarcation of Local Government Electoral Areas and Re-organisation of Polling Stations in affected Parishes/Wards in 180 (one hundred and eighty) newly-created Town Councils and Sub Counties which are located in various parts of the country, and were created after the general demarcation and re-organisation exercises which were conducted in September 2019,” said the EC boss.
Byabakama further noted that the purpose of demarcation of these Local Government Electoral Areas is to absorb the above new creations into the General Elections 2020/2021.
“The demarcation of Local Government Electoral Areas will also enable the Commission to clearly define and advise Political Parties and Organisations and other stakeholders on the areas of representation for Directly Elected Councilors and Women Councilors in the affected Town Councils and Sub Counties,” reads the statement in part.
He further called upon all stakeholders to take note of the activity and to participate as required, and in accordance with the guidelines for the activities.
Previously, the Electoral Commission had indicated that it will need 796 billion to conduct the 2021 elections.
However, the government was only able to provide about 640 billion. But this was before the coming of the coronavirus (COVID-19) whose prevention measures require a lot of sanitary facilities
