EC warns candidates on results
Feb 17, 2011
CANDIDATES, political parties and media houses have been barred from announcing election results that have not been verified and declared by the Electoral Commission.
By Josephine Maseruka
and Hebert Ssempogo
CANDIDATES, political parties and media houses have been barred from announcing election results that have not been verified and declared by the Electoral Commission.
Eng. Badru Kiggundu, the Commission chairman, yesterday addressed a press briefing in Kampala on the eve of the elections.
He said, “The representatives of media organizations, candidates and political parties will access verified results from district tallying centers and at the national tally center at the Namboole Stadium.â€
Kiggundu was flanked by the Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura, and other commissioners.
He said the authority to declare election results is vested with the EC. “Any attempt by individuals and organizations to assume such powers shall be a violation of the Constitution, which is not acceptable,†he added.
Presidential results will be announced first at all the 23,968 polling stations in the country, followed by results for directly elected members of parliament. Those for district woman MPs will come out last.
Results from polling centers will be taken to the sub-county headquarters and no announcing or tallying will be held at this level.
The results will then be taken to district tallying centers, where the district returning officer will declare the results of directly elected MPs and those of woman MPs.
The district returning officer will read the presidential results from each polling station in that district before transmitting them to the national tally center at Namboole.
Kiggundu said that if all things go as planned, presidential results will be declared within 48 hours after the elections.
He said they will not postpone elections in any part of the country as all polling materials had arrived by Thursday at all the 112 district centres.
Those eligible to vote will include registered voters whose particulars are in the register with or without a photograph or a voter’s card. Also those registered with a voter’s card but without a photo will be allowed to vote.
The EC said only accredited journalists are allowed to use cameras at polling stations.
“The commission will not accept any activity that may inconvenience, distract or delay or obstruct the polling process. Candidates and their agents are urged to respect the voters’ privacy.â€
Kiggundu emphasized that only the national voters’ register — and not any register — will be the basis of voting.
Voting, which starts at 7:00am today, will end at 5:00pm. People who finish casting their vote are advised to stay at least 20 meters away from the polling station and not to cause any disturbance.
and Hebert Ssempogo
CANDIDATES, political parties and media houses have been barred from announcing election results that have not been verified and declared by the Electoral Commission.
Eng. Badru Kiggundu, the Commission chairman, yesterday addressed a press briefing in Kampala on the eve of the elections.
He said, “The representatives of media organizations, candidates and political parties will access verified results from district tallying centers and at the national tally center at the Namboole Stadium.â€
Kiggundu was flanked by the Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura, and other commissioners.
He said the authority to declare election results is vested with the EC. “Any attempt by individuals and organizations to assume such powers shall be a violation of the Constitution, which is not acceptable,†he added.
Presidential results will be announced first at all the 23,968 polling stations in the country, followed by results for directly elected members of parliament. Those for district woman MPs will come out last.
Results from polling centers will be taken to the sub-county headquarters and no announcing or tallying will be held at this level.
The results will then be taken to district tallying centers, where the district returning officer will declare the results of directly elected MPs and those of woman MPs.
The district returning officer will read the presidential results from each polling station in that district before transmitting them to the national tally center at Namboole.
Kiggundu said that if all things go as planned, presidential results will be declared within 48 hours after the elections.
He said they will not postpone elections in any part of the country as all polling materials had arrived by Thursday at all the 112 district centres.
Those eligible to vote will include registered voters whose particulars are in the register with or without a photograph or a voter’s card. Also those registered with a voter’s card but without a photo will be allowed to vote.
The EC said only accredited journalists are allowed to use cameras at polling stations.
“The commission will not accept any activity that may inconvenience, distract or delay or obstruct the polling process. Candidates and their agents are urged to respect the voters’ privacy.â€
Kiggundu emphasized that only the national voters’ register — and not any register — will be the basis of voting.
Voting, which starts at 7:00am today, will end at 5:00pm. People who finish casting their vote are advised to stay at least 20 meters away from the polling station and not to cause any disturbance.