EC contracts firm to evaluate 2016 polls

KAMPALA - The Electoral Commission (EC) has contracted Acacia Consults Ltd to facilitate post-2016 general election evaluation.

According to EC chairperson Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, the evaluation process has been necessitated by the need to clean-up the system and also sort out challenges that might have clogged the past election period.

Adequate preparation for the 2021 general elections is the other key element driving this evaluation, Byabakama said.

"In order to enhance the commission's performance and efficiency in the conduct of elections, the commission is scheduled to conduct internal and external stakeholder consultations to evaluate the commission's performance during the said elections."

Byabakama said the evaluation process will enable the Electoral Commission to document successes and critical challenges.

From the assessment of the shortfalls, a number of recommendations will be generated.

During the survey, Acacia Consults Ltd will conduct post-election evaluation workshops across the country and develop online questionnaires for technology-savvy Ugandans to give their views on the efficacy of the Electoral Commission.

EC secretary Sam Rwakoojo, said the evaluation process is estimated to cost between sh150 and sh190m. The evaluation process, he added, will be funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

"The evaluation process will inform the improvements we are going to implement."

The evaluation comes at a time when former presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party is calling for an independent audit of the 2016 general election results, which were released by the former EC chairperson, Eng. Badru Kiggundu.

However, Byabakama said the concept of auditing elections is not provided for under the country's legal regime.

"We are evaluating the process that led to the results, not results, because the results are already known. There is no provision in the law that says elections should be audited. What we have is evaluation of the process of the elections," he said.

Madi poll date set

Meanwhile, the EC has set June 22 for the by-elections in Upper Madi County, Arua district. The seat was declared vacant recently after court nullified the election of Isaac Etuuka Joackino.

"Polling shall take place on June 22, 2017 at all polling stations in Upper Madi Country," said Byabakama.

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