Kasujja Warns State Officials

By Alfred WasikeTHE Electoral Commission has warned ministers, resident district commissioners, members of Parliament and campaign agents against addressing LC5 candidates’ rallies.Elections are set for February 14 and campaigns started yesterday.The electoral body’s chairperson, Aziz Kasujja, yesterday instructed returning officers and urged security nation-wide to “make sure that this serious warning is implemented and not flouted by anyone.”“Apart from the candidates, nobody should go up the rostrum to address the rallies,” Kasujja said.The candidates are to hold joint rallies. The EC also announced that the display of the voters register ends today and no fresh registration was taking place.In a surprise twist, the EC has discovered 8,769 cases of suspected fraud in the photographic voters register.“We shall call them and the law will take its course because it is a criminal offence to register more than once,” Kasujja said.The discovery was made by Rank Consult, the firm contracted by the EC to match voter’s images with their bio-data. Frank Katusiime said his system is able to detect fraud by picking out resemblances.Among other guidelines, the electoral body and security have also cautioned candidates and their agents against fanning hooliganism and violence among their supporters.The EC also said it was criminal to deface candidates’ posters but directed that posters pasted on road signs be removed immediately.The EC has also directed that all processions by supporters especially in Kampala will be limited to the divisions where the rallies are to be conducted.The Kampala RDC Kiwanuka Musisi and the Regional Police Commander Ahmed Wafuba warned against electoral violence. During a meeting with the two candidates vying for the Kampala mayoral seat, John Ssebaana Kizito and Wasswa Ziritwawula, Kasujja announced that voters will use receipts obtained at their registration and not voters’ cards.Ssebaana and Ziritwawula, who looked tense at the start of the meeting that lasted more than three hours, later whispered to each other. They feared that the photographic voters’ register would not be ready in time.Kasujja warned Ssebaana and his agents, Michael Mabikke MP Makindye East and Mathias Nsubuga against “disrupting” the meeting.The Busia and Kibaale RDCs, Nyombi Tembo and Katenda-Luutu accompanied Ziritwawula.Kasujja, who was flanked by commissioners, Flora Nkurukenda, Nassanga Miiro, Ted Wamusi, Robert Kitariko, Sister Margaret Magoba and EC secretary, Sam Rwakoojo, accused candidates of sabotaging the photographic voter update by “discouraging your supporters from going to re-take their photographs.”Ends