The government of Uganda and stakeholders in the 2021 General Elections have been urged to involve the youths as active players in all political processes currently going on in the country, if meaningful democracy is to be achieved.
The call was made by Mr. Crispin Kaheru -the coordinator for Citizen’s Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) in a statement released in commemoration of International Democracy Day which was held at Kololo Independence Grounds on Friday.
International Day of Democracy is observed on 15th September, and this year’s theme is; “Participation.”
In the statement, Kaheru emphasizes that meaningful democracy is built around the hallmarks of active citizen engagement, inclusion and equal treatment. He said stakeholders in Uganda’s politics should remember that democracy flourishes when people feel represented, and able to freely and substantively participate in the political affairs of their society.
The statement further highlights that amidst the rising tide of threats to democracy in Uganda, it is critical to continuously nurture an environment where citizens have the power to genuinely determine by whom, and how, they are governed.
“We therefore would like to use the opportunity of this year’s Democracy Day to call upon government, non-government and inter-governmental entities to ensure that young people are at the heart of Uganda’s political processes as unhampered, active and meaningful players” the statement reads in part.
He noted that the next general election, Uganda will have a significantly youthful population with about 72% of the voters aged between 18 and 40 years, and the participation of such a huge constituency cannot be ignored.
He also called on young people to actively and peacefully lead and participate in on-going and upcoming activities that have a bearing on the 2021 general election – including registering for National IDs and clearly indicating their preferred place of voting.