Julius Mucunguzi, the EC Spokesperson
The Electoral Commission has urged the youth to be peaceful as they elect their leaders at the parish level today.
Today, the youth across the country are electing their committees at the parish level to form that level of representation and leadership. The elections that are taking 10595 parishes across the country will start from 9am to 4pm.
Julius Mucunguzi, the EC Spokesperson, says those eligible to participate in the youth parish committee elections are the youth who were successfully elected to the village level youth committees.
“This means that the youth committees at the village level within a parish are going to meet within the parish and elect among themselves the nine committee members that sit at the parish level. Any youth who is not a member of the village youth committee has nothing to do with this election and they’re not expected to show up. Only those that are on the village youth committees are expected to turn up to form themselves into an electoral college at the parish and elect among themselves the nine members that form their committee,” Mucunguzi says.
He adds that the candidates are already known because the nominations of candidates for various positions was conducted successfully.
“This particular election is for lining up; voters will line up behind the candidate of their choice or the candidate’s picture or poster or symbol or behind the agent of the candidate,” Mucunguzi said.
He urged everybody to keep peace, be law abiding, follow the guidelines of the Electoral Commission and treat each other with respect during this election and the subsequent elections.
“As the Commission has always said, elections are not a war, elections are not a do or die affair. We should treat and conduct ourselves in a manner that is peaceful and gives the dignity of the election and the dignity of the people of Uganda that desired characteristic. We don’t want to see any involvement in any form of violence during these committee elections,” Mucunguzi said, adding: “This a special appeal to the youth to desist from being drawn into violent acts or acts of confrontation among themselves because belonging to one political party or supporting one candidate doesn’t turn the other people or the other youth in another camp into enemies. It simply means that you’ve different choices but you should and are expected to remain civil and respectful of each other and united in purpose even in your diversity.”
