Many Election Cards Still Missing

By Geoffrey Kamali and Edris Kisambira MANY people registered in Kampala have not received their voters cards due to anomalies by the Electoral Commission. A survey conducted around the city by The New Vision yesterday indicated that a number of people had failed to get their cards because they arrived late or were missing. In Nakawa and Kitintale, many people complained that they had registered, most of them late, and their cards were missing although their names were in the registers. Commission officials tried to assure the angry voters yesterday, that their complaints had been forwarded to the EC and their cards arrive on time. There was also confusion at some centres where voters were referred to the neighbouring centres or told to return later. At Makerere II teamwork zone C station, 79 voters' names were switched to Makerere II teamwork zone B. Officials at Nabweru sub-county near Bwaise, Kawempe division, told The New Vision their voters' cards were only delivered on Tuesday. They appealed to the Commission for time to distribute all the cards. "We have a total of 17,600 people to cater for but we have now only managed to handle a mere 600. We are asking the Electoral Commission to extend the deadline to enable us distribute all the cards," said an LC2 official, William Ssemakula. At Kawempe display centre, the parish chief, Richard Ssebwalunyu, told The New Vision that despite the delay in the delivery of cards, the turn-up was okay. Meanwhile Kyetume Kasanga reports from Masindi that thousands of people have been turning up to check for their names at various polling stations but many of them may not vote because the names are missing. Those interviewed said they were disappointed that their names did not appear "but ghost voters" were still on the register. Police and Prisons officials in Civic Centre Parish, said they reported dead and transferred officers but they were still on the register. Ends