Ssebakijje turned up for elections but upon getting a ballot paper from the Presiding Officer, Amina Nakyazze he noticed that his name was missing and the deceased was the one on the ballot. He tasked Nakyazze to explain why his name was missing yet he was duly nominated to replace the deceased candidate.
The Electoral Commission has suspended elections for Persons
with Disabilities-PWDs in Luwero town council because of failure to replace a
deceased candidate on the ballot paper. On Monday morning, PWDs, Youths and
Elderly Persons from parish committees turned up at their Sub County and town
council headquarters to elect councilors respectively.
At Luwero town council about 28 out of 30 the registered
PWDs turned up to elect their councillor but the elections couldn’t proceed when
they found a name of the deceased candidate on the ballot paper. In October,
Electoral Commission nominated four candidates including Issa Ssekamwa, the National
Unity Platform candidate, Khalid Kasule-NRM, Augustine Kirunda Mukoza and Abdul
Kasoma, both independent to contest for PWD councillors in Luwero town council.
However, the NRM candidate Khalid Kasule died in December
last year. As a result, the party submitted
a petition asking the Commission to replace him with, Moses Ssebakijje. Ssebakijje
turned up for elections but upon getting a ballot paper from the Presiding
Officer, Amina Nakyazze he noticed that his name was missing and the deceased
was the one on the ballot. He tasked Nakyazze to explain why his name was
missing yet he was duly nominated to replace the deceased candidate.
// Cue in: “Kati nze…
Cue out;…akyaganye”//
Nakyazze asked the voters to proceed with the exercise on grounds that the
deceased’s name will be cancelled and all the votes on the NRM symbol will be
given to Ssebakijje. But Issa Sekamwa, the NUP candidate challenged the decision, saying the nomination of Ssebakijje was not communicated early
enough, saying it was unlawful to vote in the deceased's name.
Bernard Ssemakula, the Luwero PWD Committee Chairperson pleaded with candidates
to go on with the polling exercise, saying that it would be costly to conduct
residual elections.
// Cue in: “We have our…
Cue out;…the people”//
However, the two independent candidates, Augustine Kirunda
Mukoza and Abdul Kasoma protested against the extension, saying it was unfair
since it means that they will need more resources to campaign again. Nakyazze
resolved to halt the exercise and called the District Returning Officer, Nathan
Nabaasa for advice on the matter.
Nabaasa rushed to the polling station and apologized for the error but ordered
that polling exercise is suspended till it's corrected. He explained that the elections
will be held among the residue elections after new ballot papers are printed
with the name of the new candidate.
//Cue in: “Ddala sikirungi…
Cue out;…residual elections,”//
Nabaasa also told URN that the elections for Youths councilors at Nyimbwa Sub
County were also suspended following none delivery of ballot papers for the
three candidates. Denis Sekabira, the NUP Coordinator for Luwero district, said
the irregularities in the Special Interest Groups-SIGs elections were an
eye-opener and sign that the General Elections may not also be free and fair.
The country is expected to go to the polls on Thursday this week to elect Members
of Parliament and President.
