Rigo LLG election candidates petition returning officer

By
Joel Kuta Andrew
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All the ward councilors and LLG president candidates for the Rigo District with the signed petition. Picture supplied.

By GABRIEL KATUHO

The 192 councilors and 52 council presidents contesting the Rigo District Local Level Government (LLG) elections are demanding that polling and return of writs proceed as gazetted.

Rigo North LLG candidate Louie Badada and Rigo North LLG candidate Bardey Waldino drafted the petition which will be presented to the election’s returning officer.

The petition was signed today at Kwikila station by most of the wards councilors and LLG presidents who said the deferral of the elections that had affected them financially and caused logistical and other challenges.

The candidates said they spent substantial funds  and other resources in preparation for the LLG elections.

The petition stated that if the Rigo District LLG election is deferred for the fourth time, they would demand full reimbursement of all expenses incurred by candidates.

The petition also provides the legal and constitutional breaches the fourth deferral of Rigo District LLG election may have caused under  Section 50 (Right to vote and stand for public office) and Section 23 (Enforcement of guaranteed rights and freedom) of the Constitution.

Under the Organic Law on National and Local-Level Government Elections 1999 (as mandated)

  1. Part X-Writes for elections: Section 79, 80 and 81 where it states the date of polling, the date of return of writs and elections to be held on the same day.
  2. Section 82B (Failure to observe requirement under Part X) and
  3. General principles of Mandatory Timelines.

The petition will be presented to the Rigo District returning officer to present to the Electoral Commissioner, Simon Sinai.

Team leader Badada said the Electoral Commission had the constitutional and statutory duty to ensure free, fair and timely elections were conducted nationwide and the repeated deferral had eroded public confidence in the electoral system and the democratic processes.

“The deferrals not only show the lack of funding support but a lack of leadership in the electoral commission who should have pre-planned the elections and secure enough funds so that this would not happen,” he said.

The Electoral Commission said they were still waiting for funds from the National Government to complete the LLG elections.