RWENZORI REGIONAL CONSULTATIVE MEETING ON FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS.

On the 18^th and 19^th September 2014 , RIC-NET joined RWECO, KRC, NDI, CEDU and NGO Forum to organize and facilitate at the Rwenzori regional consultative meeting on "free and fair elections" that was held at Kagote SDA hall in Fort Portal.

The two day consultative meeting aimed at building consensus on issues for reform and coming up with  citizens proposals and concerns on free and fair elections and other development issues in the Rwenzori region that will be further discussed in the national consultative meeting on free and fair elections.

The meeting was attended by over 200 participants from the 7 districts of the Rwenzori region of Kabarole, Kyenjojo, Kasese, Bundibugyo, Kamwenge, Kyegegwa and Ntoroko Districts. The participants included the RDCs, MPs, District chairperson LC5, religious leaders, political party representatives, representatives of PLWDs, academia, students from universities, cultural institutions representatives, youth representatives, women groups leaders, trader unions and farmers group representatives.

participants  made resolution concerning the independence of the electoral commission; representatives of special groups; democracy under political parties;  relationships of citizens and the elected leaders; the electoral process from registration, campaigning,voting, counting of votes and tallying; nomination fees of different elected leaders positions; demarcation of constituencies; access to media during the electoral process;age qualification of different office bearers; form of government after the general election;tenure of office of the elected leaders; requirements of civil servant in relation to being elected leaders, role of armed forces in the electoral process, decentralization of powers and resources; protection from property deprivation and appointment of constitutional commissions. the citizens resolve to use their resolution as key demands from their members of parliament when the bill on electoral reforms is tabled in parliament.