10 ballot boxes recovered from Omoro County

A Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) team working with police have recovered 10 ballot boxes hidden in Ben Ki-gen saloon in the remote trading center of Acet, Odek Sub county Omoro district.

Seven of the ballot boxes were empty while three contained ballot papers that had been ticked and of the three, only two had a seal.

Two of the boxes had ballot papers for the direct members of parliament, woman member of parliament and the presidents.

They were retrieved from the saloon on Saturday after a tip off by Deo Wilobo a resident. He swiftly informed police of their existence in the area and they were taken to Gulu central police station.

The discovery follows dissatisfaction by some Omoro voters on Friday evening when the returning officer Benson Obete declared the incumbent Jacob Oulanyah (NRM) as the winner against Simon Toolit of FDC.

In what appeared to be a shock to the electorate and the FDC district leaders, Obete released the results without disclosing what exactly each candidate had got.

By press time, the returning officer had not yet released the block figures each candidate got.

"There could have been swapping of the genuine ballot papers with the pre-ticked ballot papers in favor of Oulanyah," Martin Mapenduzi the Gulu district chairman said.

Mapenduzi added that from eight polling stations, agents were not given the declaration forms by the presiding officers to compare whether the sealed votes in the black boxes corresponded during the tallying.

The assistant Inspector General of Police Edward Ochom who was deployed to oversee elections in northern Uganda said they had agreed that Electoral Commission and the police investigate the matter thoroughly.

Ochom refuted claims that police had connived with the Electoral Commission to alter the results in favor of Oulanyah.

"I have been in Acholi and Lango sub regions, elections have ended peacefully. If there is any police officer who has misbehaved, the Professional Standards Unit should investigate," Ochom said.

Samuel Engola the presiding officer of Acet Market 3 polling station told New Vision that he was not aware that the boxes had remained behind.

Engola also declined to confirm whether the ballot boxes recovered were his or not since the number was exceeding what the polling station should have.

Samuel Odonga Otto who is a practicing counsel advised that the matter be handled with a sober mind and stop rushing to make judgments.

Otto applauded the Electoral Commission for allowing the release of declaration forms that had results of nine contested polling stations for verification.

"From the 59 polling stations in Omoro, the FDC candidate has a problem with only nine polling stations which we want to verify before taking any other step," he said.

The polling stations due for verification include; Lagwedola, Lalogi headquarters A-A, Lalogi headquarters B-Z, Minjaa, Tee Chwa, Loyajonga A-A, Idobo p.7 A-A, Corner Lakoya and Awali wangi Tangi.

Efforts to reach the returning officer for a comment at EC's office on the matter were futile as police locked the gate on his directive.