Just two days to the communicated dates for holding Makerere University guild elections for the academic year 2020/2021, there is a lot of uncertainty at the hill regarding the exact day when students will vote for their leaders.
The university’s electoral commission as well as the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe communicated that the guild elections will be held on Friday, 30th April but by the look of things, the elections may not happen on the mentioned date.
In chat with the nominated aspiring guild presidents, the recently nominated candidates told Campus Bee that they received communication from EC that the list of nominated candidates was provisional, adding that it would change soon.
The aspirants instantly held a meeting on Monday afternoon to find a way forward having spent a lot of money and time on guild campaigns. The aspirants further revealed that there is a plan to postpone the elections to 5th May, which they totally disagree with.
Other students are suggesting that the whole confusion was engineered to buy time for NRM’s Dickson Muhwezi to appear on the ballot after he was ditched over missing marks/retakes, however these allegations cannot be verified.
“I am hearing that we are going to vote after Tibuhaburwa’s swearing in, we are not going to accept. Macxzzon and your team those old tricks will not work. We must vote,” One bitter student was quoted during a heated discussion over guild elections.
After holding their meeting on Monday, the aspiring candidates including; Judith Nalukwago, Oguttu Aaron, Mutabarura Jackson, and Joseph Tumusiime resolved to storm the Dean of Students’ office for clarification about the polling date.
The Dean of Students’ office on Monday evening released a detailed document signed by the University Council Chairperson Mrs Lorna Magara, who was interpreting the guidelines to be followed ahead of guild elections. This document however did not indicate dates when the elections will be held.
Magara’s document indicates a number of guidelines to be put in place by EC during the elections which left students wondering how the electoral body will implement all the guidelines in just two days to elections.
Among other conditions, only registered students for the year 2020/2021 will be allowed to vote through physical and electronic voting for those who are legally on and off campus respectively. The Electoral Commission has also been tasked to prepare separate voters’ registers for students who are legally on campus and those who are off campus legally.
The electoral body is also expected to display a voters’ register both physically and electronically ahead of guild elections.
Below are all the guidelines issued by the University Council ahead of guild elections;
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