By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of printing ballot papers without notifying political parties or publishing the list of duly gazetted candidates and polling stations.
Augustine Ojobile, the FDC Electoral Commission Secretary, said political parties are being sidelined in a process that should be transparent and accountable.
“We realise that ballot papers are being printed without the notice of political parties, not even the candidates,” Ojobile told Parrots Media. “All commissioners apart from the chairman are out supervising the printing. Yet no polling stations or candidates have been gazetted.”
According to Ojobile, the absence of an official gazette leaves parties uncertain about the accuracy of the ballot papers.
“I am not satisfied. If our people are not gazetted, we are not sure whether what they are printing includes our candidates,” he noted. “We cannot even verify whether names are spelled correctly. By the time mismatches are discovered, it will be too late to complain.”
The electoral commission announced last month that printing of Ballot papers for presidential candidates had started while ballot printing for members of parliament and local government councils was in advance stages in South Africa and Dubai. Addressing the plenary last week, the speaker of parliament Anette Anitah Among said some of the EC commissioners were out of the country to supervise the printing of allots.
However, this has been welcomed with resentments from members of the opposition who argue that political parties need a published gazette to confirm polling stations and candidate details before printing exercise.
“At the moment we are still on hearsay. Until I receive a gazette showing each polling station in an area, I cannot verify anything,” said Ojobile.
Ojobile urged the EC to address this issue with utmost urgency it needs to ensure a credible electoral process.
“We expect the EC to implement these issues as a matter of urgency because we do not have time.”
Additionally, the FDC Electoral Commission Secretary also criticised security forces for allegedly using violence against opposition supporters, citing recent confrontations involving the National Unity Platform (NUP) in Gulu City and other districts.
“What we are worried about are the NRM people who assume violence is normal,” he said. “We shall deal with that.”
