In preparation for the forthcoming by-elections in Aruu North constituency, Kamuli Municipality and the Moroto Woman Member of Parliament, Citizen’s Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) has completed training a team of ten Long Term Observers (LTOs) at Biva Hotel in Pader district.
CCEDU’s head of electoral process observation, Mr. Ivan Mwaka led the observer training which equipped the community monitors with knowledge and technical understanding of tools and methods of election observation within the Ugandan context.
The eight male and two female LTOs are drawn from within CCEDU member institutions from within and around Aruu Constituency in Pader district. CCEDU will also train other two teams to monitor Kamuli and Moroto by-elections.
The LTOs will be deployed immediately in each of the seven sub counties of Aruu including; Atanga, Pajule, Latanya, Laguti, Acholi-Bur, Lapul and Angagura.
Over the next four (4) weeks, the LTOs will observe the pre-election, Election Day and the post-election environment.
On the Election Day, CCEDU will deploy a contingent of 50 observers to monitor the Election Day processes. The same contingent shall be deployed to oversee Kamuli and Moroto by-elections.
LTOs will report periodically on both good electoral practices and any malpractices observed.
It is anticipated that the deployment of these community observers will go a long way in deterring electoral malpractices that have bedeviled the county’s previous elections.
Mr Crispin Kaheru, the Coordinator of CCEDU noted that the population must take the lead in ensuring the elections are free, fair and peaceful.
