Elections postponed in Eastern districts

Countrywide

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) district and parliamentary primaries in the eastern districts of Mbale, Manafwa, Bulambuli, Kapchorwa, Nakapiripirit, Serere, Sironko and Butaleja have been postponed over various irregularities in the party registers and inadequate ballot papers.

Although voting continued in the districts of Butebo, Kibuku, Budaka and Pallisa, several NRM party leaders complained of irregularities and kept themselves locked up in meetings to forge a way ahead after it also emerged the ballot papers were not tallying with the number of voters in the register.

Voters turned up at polling stations as early as 8am but in most parts of the districts, elections materials had not reached polling stations. In some areas where voting took place, materials reached polling stations by 12 noon and voting started at about 1pm amid several irregularities.

Confusion also raged at most polling stations when materials for some elective positions were not delivered while in some polling stations, there was total shortage of ballot papers. This was also heightened by lack of candidates’ lists and some people did not know the contestants for the various positions. “We have called the elections off because as you try to address confusion in one polling station, you are confronted by three others. The whole exercise is in a mess, total mess. The party must find a solution to end this,” said the Sironko NRM chairman, Mr Sulaiman Lumolo.

Mbale bows to pressure
In Mbale, the district NRM party administrator, Mr Tonny Balayo, said as a party they have bowed to pressure raised by different candidates over inadequate voters’ materials, double registration of some voters and late arrival of voting material. “We have been in touch with the NRM secretariat over irregularities in registration, late arrival of voting materials, inadequate voter materials and we have agreed to postpone the elections to another date,” said Mr Balayo.

Daily Monitor has established that in Masaba ward in industrial division (Mbale Municipality), there were no voter materials while in Maluku ward there was only one ballot paper in an envelope meant to carry all the materials. Boma ward in Wanale Division had only 15 ballot papers for about 621 voters registered to vote at the station. In Butaleja, reports indicated that 43,000 ballot papers allegedly pre-ticked in favour of Minister Without Portfolio Dorothy Hyuha had been seized by the police.

Manafwa lacks material
In Manafwa, the elections were called-off after a section of NRM supporters stormed the district headquarters armed with sticks protesting lack of voter materials and ballot papers at various polling stations. “We had no choice but to call off the elections because there were places with not ballot papers while people’s names were missing in the register. We have cancelled and shall be advised by the secretariat on the way forward,” said NRM chairman Charles Walimbwa.

Tororo designs plan B
In Tororo, voting continued under the stand-in returning officer, Mr Joseph Kadoketch, who was forced to buy exercise books, cut out pieces of paper, sign and stamp them for use as ballot papers.
At some of the polling stations where voting was conducted, there was only one presiding officer without any assistants. “I think we have failed as NRM because if we cannot organize and conduct our own polls peacefully and efficiently, then why should we always blame the Electoral Commission which is handling a general election when they get shortcomings,” Mr Patrick Okwalinga, an NRM supporter told Daily Monitor.

Tororo District boss Bernard Mujasi told Daily Monitor at a press conference that as a leading party in the country, they needed to have shown clearly what democracy is. “We must have the internal preparation and moral justification to exhibit democracy and ensure it is seen at work in the country,” he said. “But where voters’ materials are inadequate, ballot papers are already in the streets, we should not deceive ourselves that we have democracy.”

Buvuma’s ballots torn
In Buvuma District, voters were treated to free drama when the area Member of Parliament, Mr William Nsubuga, snatched the ballot papers and destroyed them in a nearby lake. According to Sande Nsubuga, a councillor at the district, the MP who was suspicious of the electoral committee, tore the ballot papers in Mubale village in Bugaya parish before throwing them in the lake. Mr Nsubuga accused the electoral officials of inefficiency and to have been compromised by his opponent, Mr Robert Miggade.

Kamuli stuffs boxes
In Kamuli District, the polls were indefinitely suspended following a suspected vote-stuffing. The problem was detected from Bugabula North Constituency where a ballot box allegedly containing ticked votes of Mr Moses Kizige, the presidential advisor on foreign affairs, was caught by his rivals.

This prompted an emergency meeting between the candidates Gerald Menya, Mr Caesar Lukalu, and Hajati Rehema Watongola. The discussions to forge away forward failed and the members in the meeting resolved to call off the elections until matters are sorted out.

In Kapchorwa, the elections that started at around mid-day were marred with confusion. At Kaptul village in Kapteret Sub-county, with 119 registered voters, only nine ballot papers were delivered.

In Sipi Sub-county, voters boycotted the elections amid allegations of ballot disappearances and lack of election materials in many polling stations. A presiding officer Rigging in ‘Teswa’ village Kapchesombe parish confirmed vote rigging. Ms Scovia Chelangat said; “I received polling materials which were meant for another village. Worst of all, the envelope had been tempered with and ballot papers plucked out”.

Iganga’s polls boycott
In Iganga District, voters boycotted the elections as early as 10:00 AM, as soon as the ballot papers arrived at polling stations. They contested the delivery of less ballot papers prompting the acting returning officer, Mr Moses Magero, to call off the exercise. “We have been compelled to call off voting until the National Secretariat pronounces itself on the matter,” he told the press later, “The situation is beyond me.”

David Mafabi, Augustine Emojong, Mudhanga Kolyangha, Steven Ariong, Richard Otim, Caleb Sam Opio, Pauline Kairu, Yazid Yolisigira, James Eriku & Moses Akena