EC To Print Ballots Here
Jul 23, 2003
THE Electoral Commission (EC) is to start printing some of the election ballot papers instead of importing them, the House committee on legal and parliamentary affairs heard yesterday.
By John Kakande
THE Electoral Commission (EC) is to start printing some of the election ballot papers instead of importing them, the House committee on legal and parliamentary affairs heard yesterday.
The EC delegation led by the chairperson, Dr Badru Kiggundu, told the committee chaired by Dora Byamukama that they would use their printery to print the ballot papers to be used in next months by-election for Nakasongola district woman MP. The deadline for the by-election is September 1.
The EC officials appeared to discuss with the committee the commission’s budget for 2003/2004 financial year. They said they were allocated sh18b instead of sh49b requested for.
MP Sarah Kiyingi (Rakai), however, was alarmed by the EC’s plan to print ballot papers, saying there would be a lot of forgeries and election malpractice.
“Are you going to print papers with all these forgeries around? That is a massive project and I am worried we shall have forgeries,†Kiyingi said.
The EC Secretary, Sam Rwakoojo, had earlier informed the committee that the commission has a printery that it planned to expand.
Flanked by commissioners Steven Ongaria and Tom Buruku, Kiggundu said it was too early for the EC to print the ballot papers for national elections. “But for the district by-elections, we have the equipment and we have put in place security,†Kiggundu said.
MPs Alex Ndeezi, John Wagonda Muguli, Rose Nacha, Jacob Oulanyah, the Rev. Kefa Ssempangi, Fred Ruhindi, Ben Wacha and Sarah Kiyingi questioned the officials over sh200m given to the multiparty referendum committee led by Nelson Ocheger in 2000.
MPs sought to know the measures that the EC was taking to stamp out election violence.
The EC officials said the photographic voters’ cards would be ready by September 2004.
Ends
THE Electoral Commission (EC) is to start printing some of the election ballot papers instead of importing them, the House committee on legal and parliamentary affairs heard yesterday.
The EC delegation led by the chairperson, Dr Badru Kiggundu, told the committee chaired by Dora Byamukama that they would use their printery to print the ballot papers to be used in next months by-election for Nakasongola district woman MP. The deadline for the by-election is September 1.
The EC officials appeared to discuss with the committee the commission’s budget for 2003/2004 financial year. They said they were allocated sh18b instead of sh49b requested for.
MP Sarah Kiyingi (Rakai), however, was alarmed by the EC’s plan to print ballot papers, saying there would be a lot of forgeries and election malpractice.
“Are you going to print papers with all these forgeries around? That is a massive project and I am worried we shall have forgeries,†Kiyingi said.
The EC Secretary, Sam Rwakoojo, had earlier informed the committee that the commission has a printery that it planned to expand.
Flanked by commissioners Steven Ongaria and Tom Buruku, Kiggundu said it was too early for the EC to print the ballot papers for national elections. “But for the district by-elections, we have the equipment and we have put in place security,†Kiggundu said.
MPs Alex Ndeezi, John Wagonda Muguli, Rose Nacha, Jacob Oulanyah, the Rev. Kefa Ssempangi, Fred Ruhindi, Ben Wacha and Sarah Kiyingi questioned the officials over sh200m given to the multiparty referendum committee led by Nelson Ocheger in 2000.
MPs sought to know the measures that the EC was taking to stamp out election violence.
The EC officials said the photographic voters’ cards would be ready by September 2004.
Ends