More Than 13 Women Contest Against Cecelia Ogwal’s Daughter To Replace Her
The position of Dokolo District Woman representative in Parliament, left vacant after the unfortunate passing of Cecilia Barbara Atim Ogwal on January 18, has attracted interest from at least 14 individuals. The electoral laws dictate that the seat must be filled within 60 days, and the late Ogwal’s family has endorsed her daughter, Dr Rosemary Alwoc Ogwal, as a potential successor. Dr Alwoc is considering running as an Independent, National Resistance Movement (NRM), or Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate.
Joining Dr Alwoc in the race are 13 other candidates, including Ms Sarah Aguti Nyangkori of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party and Ms Janet Rose Adong Elau of NRM, both of whom unsuccessfully contested against the late Ogwal in the 2021 General Election.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has outlined the by-election roadmap, with the polling date set for March 21. Justice Simon Byabakama, the EC chairperson, engaged with stakeholders in Dokolo District, urging their cooperation and support for successful mobilization and sensitization. Notably, the EC chairperson highlighted additional vacancies at the Local Government Council levels, utilizing this exercise to fill positions such as the councillor position for Adakmon Parish in Dokolo Sub-county and the Bata Sub-county councillor representing older persons.
Dr Alwoc Ogwal emphasized transparency in the electoral process, particularly focusing on the registration of eligible voters, especially those who turned 18 since 2021. The by-election roadmap includes the updating of the voters’ register from yesterday until February 15 at all stations in each of the 71 parishes/wards in the district. February 15 is the cut-off date for applying for voter registration and transfer of voting location.
The display of the voters’ register is scheduled from February 21 to March 1, and the nomination of candidates will take place on March 11 and March 12. Successful candidates will conduct campaign meetings from March 13 to March 19, leading up to the polling and tallying of results on March 21 for by-elections of councillors representing special interest groups.