NEC tells district leaders to exercise the spirit of democracy

RWAMAGANA – Local leaders should be fair to leaders of the different political parties and allow them to campaign during the forth coming presidential campaigns, the Executive Secretary of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), said on Wednesday. While meeting district Mayors and Executive Secretaries in Rwamagana, Charles Munyaneza, said all political parties should be given equal space as key prerequisite to free and fair elections. “You have to respect the principles of democracy. Leaders must allocate different parties equal space to campaign as long as this does not go against established rules,” he said. “Leaders have to be non-partisan and exemplary during the campaigns. It is for instance wrong, to find a Mayor or Executive Secretary wearing a T- shirt of a certain political party they support,” he added. He also cautioned leaders against decorating their vehicles with posters of their parties, saying it exposes them. “You know all the parties campaigning will be under your supervision as leaders…you therefore don’t expect any members of those parties to trust you when you openly take sides,” he noted. He said that the Commission will avail leaders with a more detailed guide line to avoid unnecessary mistakes. Frank Kayiranga, the NEC official in charge of the Eastern Province called upon all local leaders in Nyagatare and Bugesera districts to speed up registration of voters. He disclosed that the two districts still lag behind in voters’ registration exercise in the Province. “We have said it time and again that registration is an obligation.So we have got to work together, to ensure that all adults are registered in time to exercise their civic rights.” Ends