FM Radios Warned On Election Results

By Kezio Musoke THE Electoral Commission (EC) and the Police have warned all FM radios and television stations not to announce the results of the March 7 presidential elections before the EC has done so. In a consultative meeting with the EC chairman, Hajji Aziz Kasujja, and the Inspector General of Police, John Kisembo, the directors of all media houses were told that the first announcer of the results should not be anyone else but the presiding officer at a polling station. Kasujja said, "At every polling station, full results will be taken to the district for tallying then they will be sent to the EC headquarters for equating. "I am warning you that only the EC has the right to ascertain and declare the winner of these elections." No FM radio or TV station should come out and read the results before being officially read by the Electoral Commission. The results shall be read within 48 hours. This is a warning we are giving you." Kasujja said voting will take place from 7:00am to 5:00pm and no vote shall be left uncounted overnight on March 7. The directors were also warned against airing and publishing defamatory messages on presidential candidates. "No candidates shall use electronic media to make statements that are defamatory, malicious or anything contrary to the rights of presidential candidates in the law," Kisembo said. "I am warning all the media houses to refrain from publishing defamatory material because it is liable to a penalty. "All electoral offences in the campaigns are highlighted in the law. The job of the media is to highlight those areas of importance and not ill messages which are not fair to all concerned," he added. The meeting was attended among others by Elvis Sekalala of Wavah Broadcasting Station (WBS), Aga Sekalala of Simba Radio, Richard Mulondo of Sanyu FM and a representative from Monitor FM. Kasujja also condemned all defamatory material published in the media, illustrating it with an example of The New Vision. He said one candidate's camp instead of complaining to the Police and the EC that The New Vision was being unfair to them, complained to the media. "We condemn all these violations of the electoral law, but for us to take action, the complainants should not run to the media. They should come to the Police or the EC," Kasujja said. Ends