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Feb 22, 2006
<i><b>Ugandans elect President, 284 MPs today</b></i><br><br>Ugandans go to the polls today to elect a president and 284 MPs.<br>The Electoral Commission (EC) chairman, Badru Kiggundu, has appealed to the voters to turn up early in big numbers.
Ugandans elect President, 284 MPs today
By Felix Osike
Ugandans go to the polls today to elect a president and 284 MPs.
The Electoral Commission (EC) chairman, Badru Kiggundu, has appealed to the voters to turn up early in big numbers.
“It is important to turn up early this time because the poll is three-in-one, necessitating voters to spend more time at the polling stations than before,†he said.
Kiggundu said the EC and the Police were monitoring the electoral environment closely to ensure peaceful elections.
Addressing a press conference at the national tally centre at Namboole Stadium yesterday, Kiggundu said polling materials had been dispatched across the country under tight security.
The materials are expected at the sub-county headquarters in the 69 districts and are to be moved to polling stations by 7:00am today (Thursday).
Kiggundu said there was enough security for all the candidates and the elections throughout the country.
The exercise will be monitored by international and local observers..
There are 10,450,788 registered voters and polling will take place from 7:00am to 5:00pm at the 19,786 polling stations throughout the country. The Government has declared today a public holiday.
These are the first multiparty polls since the disputed 1980 ones, which led President Yoweri Museveni to launch a five-year guerrilla war.
Five presidential candidates, including Museveni who is seeking a third term, are in the race. Others are Forum for Democratic Change leader Col. Kizza Besigye, Kampala Mayor John Ssebaana Kizito (DP), Miria Kalule Obote (Uganda People’s Congress) and a veterinary doctor, Abed Bwanika, an independent.
The candidates ended their campaigns on Tuesday after traversing the country for about two months. Compared to the previous elections, the campaigns have generally been peaceful in most areas, except for isolated incidents in Kampala, Arua, Iganga and Soroti districts.
Museveni is expected to vote from his polling centre in Kiruhura district, while Besigye and Miria Obote will vote in Rukingiri and Apac respectively.
Ssebana is expected to cast his vote in Kansanga, Kampala, while Bwanika will vote in Ntinda. There are 215 seats for directly elected MPs and 69 for the district women representatives.
Yesterday, Kiggundu dispelled allegations by FDC that EC had given pre-ticked ballot papers to the NRM for stuffing in the ballot boxes on the polling day.
“There are no ballot papers in the hands of the individual EC staff, political party, candidate or indeed anybody else,†he said. He said for transparency, the polling kits would be opened in the presence of voters and the candidates’ agents.
After the verification of the particulars, voters will cast ballots for president, directly elected MPs and district women MPs in that order.
Kiggundu said anyone in the queue by the 5:00pm deadline would be allowed to vote. He said polling will be by secret ballot. Vote counting will be done in the presence of voters, candidates or their agents. and election observers. Counting of the votes will start with presidential candidates. Final results of the presidential elections are expected earliest Saturday evening, Kiggundu said.
EC said voters who would have cast their votes and all other persons in the vicinity of the polling station will stay at least 20 metres away from the first table and not 100 meters as had earlier been directed.
Kiggundu said in elections, there are always winners and losers. “Winners should therefore be gracious to losers, while losers should accept the results for purposes of unity and coherence of our motherland,†Kiggundu said.
Ends
By Felix Osike
Ugandans go to the polls today to elect a president and 284 MPs.
The Electoral Commission (EC) chairman, Badru Kiggundu, has appealed to the voters to turn up early in big numbers.
“It is important to turn up early this time because the poll is three-in-one, necessitating voters to spend more time at the polling stations than before,†he said.
Kiggundu said the EC and the Police were monitoring the electoral environment closely to ensure peaceful elections.
Addressing a press conference at the national tally centre at Namboole Stadium yesterday, Kiggundu said polling materials had been dispatched across the country under tight security.
The materials are expected at the sub-county headquarters in the 69 districts and are to be moved to polling stations by 7:00am today (Thursday).
Kiggundu said there was enough security for all the candidates and the elections throughout the country.
The exercise will be monitored by international and local observers..
There are 10,450,788 registered voters and polling will take place from 7:00am to 5:00pm at the 19,786 polling stations throughout the country. The Government has declared today a public holiday.
These are the first multiparty polls since the disputed 1980 ones, which led President Yoweri Museveni to launch a five-year guerrilla war.
Five presidential candidates, including Museveni who is seeking a third term, are in the race. Others are Forum for Democratic Change leader Col. Kizza Besigye, Kampala Mayor John Ssebaana Kizito (DP), Miria Kalule Obote (Uganda People’s Congress) and a veterinary doctor, Abed Bwanika, an independent.
The candidates ended their campaigns on Tuesday after traversing the country for about two months. Compared to the previous elections, the campaigns have generally been peaceful in most areas, except for isolated incidents in Kampala, Arua, Iganga and Soroti districts.
Museveni is expected to vote from his polling centre in Kiruhura district, while Besigye and Miria Obote will vote in Rukingiri and Apac respectively.
Ssebana is expected to cast his vote in Kansanga, Kampala, while Bwanika will vote in Ntinda. There are 215 seats for directly elected MPs and 69 for the district women representatives.
Yesterday, Kiggundu dispelled allegations by FDC that EC had given pre-ticked ballot papers to the NRM for stuffing in the ballot boxes on the polling day.
“There are no ballot papers in the hands of the individual EC staff, political party, candidate or indeed anybody else,†he said. He said for transparency, the polling kits would be opened in the presence of voters and the candidates’ agents.
After the verification of the particulars, voters will cast ballots for president, directly elected MPs and district women MPs in that order.
Kiggundu said anyone in the queue by the 5:00pm deadline would be allowed to vote. He said polling will be by secret ballot. Vote counting will be done in the presence of voters, candidates or their agents. and election observers. Counting of the votes will start with presidential candidates. Final results of the presidential elections are expected earliest Saturday evening, Kiggundu said.
EC said voters who would have cast their votes and all other persons in the vicinity of the polling station will stay at least 20 metres away from the first table and not 100 meters as had earlier been directed.
Kiggundu said in elections, there are always winners and losers. “Winners should therefore be gracious to losers, while losers should accept the results for purposes of unity and coherence of our motherland,†Kiggundu said.
Ends