Kasujja Gives Districts Computers For Elections

ELECTORAL Commission (EC) chairman Hajji Aziz Kasujja yesterday said he was sending computers loaded with the voters' register to districts for nomination of aspiring Members of Parliament. Hamis Kaheru reports that Kasujja told a meeting of returning officers at the International Conference Centre that the computers would be used to check names of voters who wish to nominate aspiring MPs for their constituencies. Nomination of aspirants commences on Monday and ends on May 24. Nomination of directly elected MPs ends on May 22 and that for district women representatives runs from May 23-24. Every candidate must be nominated by one registered voter and seconded by another from the constituency where he or she intends to stand. Another 10 registered voters are to sign the nomination forms to endorse the candidature. Kasujja said the computerisation of the voters' register would make the work of returning officers easy. He said it would be possible to confirm that supporters of a particular candidate are duly registered in that constituency. He said the commission would send computer operators from its headquarters in Kampala to the districts to help returning officers access necessary data. He said districts which do not have electricity supply will be provided with printed registers. "If you have electricity and you suspect that there may be a black-out, prepare to have a generator," he said. The districts to use printed registers are Katakwi, Sembabule, Kyenjojo, Pader, Moyo, Arua, Bundibugyo, Kalangala, Kibale, Kisoro, Kotido, Kyenjojo, Yumbe, Moroto, Nebbi, Kasese and Adjumani. Kasujja said the computers belong to the photographic voters' register project and would be withdrawn anytime. He said sh11b had been spent on the project and another sh6b would be spent before voters' cards bearing photographs are used in the next local government elections. Meanwhile, Kasujja said finance minister Gerald Ssendaula defied a directive from President Museveni to provide sh2.5b for civic education. "The President directed in writing that we be given sh2.5b for civic education, but up to now we have not received a shilling," he told the returning officers. He said the commission could not educate voters on parliamentary elections next month. "The commission will, however, conduct limited civic education through the press and the electronic media," he said. Ends