Uganda: Exorcising Voter Ghosts From Register Calls for United Effort

11 November 2009
opinion

Kampala — ARE 'ghost voters' fiction or reality? 'Ghost voters' refer to the practice of voters in a legislative body taking part in a vote where they are not physically present either because they are dead or never existed.

The phenomenon is not new and Uganda is not an exception. Voter fraud raises many issues. However, it is time for collective responsibility than apportioning blame. Is it a question of one million ghost votes or not? Collective responsibility for all key players irrespective of party affiliation is demanded and not a choice. Short of that, as Chinua Achebe puts it, there will be little to choose between rotten palm nuts and a broken mortar. If the phenomenon is not new, why did it cause such a storm in the Ugandan press?

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