Gulu varsity Guild Presidential election suspended over ballot paper irregularities

Elections for the next Gulu University Guild President have been suspended after the university’s electoral commission detected irregularities on the ballot papers. FILE PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • The University electoral commission had scheduled April 22nd for the Guild president election at the University main campus in Laroo division Gulu Municipality.
  • Seven candidates were early this month nominated for the University’s guild presidential race but one of them, Boniface Ojengo, a second year Bachelors of Public Administration student stepped down.
  • The electoral commission has designated April 29 as the next date for the Guild Presidency elections adding that new ballot papers with different colors and design will be printed to avoid possibilities of vote rigging.

Elections for the next Gulu University Guild President have been suspended after the university’s electoral commission detected irregularities on the ballot papers.
The University electoral commission had scheduled April 22nd for the Guild president election at the University main campus in Laroo division Gulu Municipality.

But a few hours to voting time, the commission announced that the elections had been postponed after a candidate’s name, who had stepped down from the race a week ago, was found on the ballot papers.
Seven candidates were early this month nominated for the University’s guild presidential race but one of them, Boniface Ojengo, a second year Bachelors of Public Administration student stepped down.
Others nominated for the race were Joyce Halima Reeni, Bithum Eic Opondo, Mbazira Daniel, Johnson Noowe, Wilfred Nyeko and James Ojok Onono.

The University’s Electoral Commission Spokesperson Ms Gender Laker told Daily Monitor that they had to call off the guild presidential election after detecting the irregularity on the ballot papers.
She noted that the electoral commission returning officer had notified a company contracted to print the ballot papers of the stepping down of one of the candidates a week earlier.
“We informed the company contracted to print the ballot papers that one candidate had stepped down from the race and there was need to make adjustments, but we are surprised that seven names of the candidates appeared on the ballot papers today [Sunday],” Ms Laker said.

She noted that last week dummy ballot papers brought at the University electoral commission offices had only six names adding that the candidates verified them and were satisfied.
“What happened is an error on the side of the ballot papers printers, we have already notified them of the same, and these errors have nothing with biasness because we are impartial. We have sat with all the six candidates and agreed to suspend the elections,” Ms Laker said.
Ms Laker said the electoral commission has designated April 29 as the next date for the Guild Presidency elections adding that new ballot papers with different colors and design will be printed to avoid possibilities of vote rigging.