EC apologizes for issuing similar electoral symbols to independents

POLITICS|ELECTION WATCH|NOMINATIONS

KAMPALA - The Electoral Commission has apologized for issuing similar electoral symbols to Nakawa Division independent contestants during nominations.

EC had issued the symbols to Nakawa VI electoral area local council contestants, therefore recalling the candidates to be issued with new symbols that they will use during campaigns.

The affected areas in Nakawa Division, Kampala, include Bukoto, Kyanja, Kiwatule and Nsimbiziwoome, among others.

The EC district returning officer for Kampala, Fredrick Muwaya who  nominated the contestants at EC's  regional offices in Ntinda explained how the anomaly occurred.

"The commission erroneously created two files with two control forms containing the campaigning symbols, hence the mischief," Muwaya said.

He said the issuance of similar symbols to different persons contesting in the same electoral area may affect their identities, or increase the cost of printing campaign posters.

"We apologize for the anomaly caused to the contestants," Muwaya  said, adding that the error created a scenario where several candidates chose a ball ,  as their campaigning symbol from the two different files.

According to Muwaya, EC has approved symbols  for use by independent candidates in presidential, parliamentary and local government Council elections.

Among these is a ball, bicycle, chair, clock, cup, radio, table, pot, saucepan and kettle.

"Every independent in a particular electoral area must choose one symbol, however, we errored and issued similar symbols to different contestants," Muwaya admitted.

Muwaya said this on Wednesday (October 7, 2020), in an interview with New Vision on the challenges EC faced during the thirteen days' nomination exercise where thirty-six divisional mayors, from the five divisions making up Kampala, 484 Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Lord counselors, 2,940 divisional Counselors were nominated.

 "The number nominated for the Kampala  lord mayoral seat are eleven. This followed successful verification of their academic documents and 1000 signatures each collected from eligible voters from the five-divisions making up Kampala,"  Muwaya said.

These include:  Incumbent Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago contesting on Forum For Democratic Change(FDC), Nabila Naggayi Ssempala contesting on National Unity Platform (NUP), Joseph Mayanja aka Jose Chameleon (independent) and Daniel Kazibwe aka Ragga Dee contesting on National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

Others are: Salongo Isaac Ssendagire, Innocent Kawooya, Ben Lule, Evans Michael Mugabi, Eddie Bazira a Ugandan Sports promoter, all (independents),   Yakubu Musaazi  Mayanja  contesting on Alliance For Transformation (ANT) ticket and Former 2001 presidential aspirant Charles James Ssenkubuge aka Siasa contesting on  Democratic Party (DP) ticket.

Muwaya explained, "On realizing that we had two files for the same position, and the same electoral area, we decided to invite all the affected independent candidates in order to sort out the anomaly."

Muwaya said in their meeting held on 2nd October, at  EC offices, "We resolved to use the principle of first come first serve basis, to issue out the symbols to the affected independent contestants."

Last month, the EC was overwhelmed and prompted to hold the nominations of the independent candidates contesting for Local Councils 3 and 5 at Banda3 and Bukoto 3, where all the ten symbols had been exhausted.

EC released another set of ten symbols for use by the independents, these were. a mobile phone, television, boat, tree, house, candle, jerrycan, bunch of bananas, motor vehicle and loud speaker.

One of the affected candidates, Joseph Nsenge contesting for Councilor LC5 Bukoto west, said  "Before, I had been allocated a symbol of a  ball, now I have  been re-allocated a cup I have to face another higher costs of designing and printing banner flex or canvas proof  and posters for the new issued symbol."