While addressing journalists at the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC) offices in Nsambya yesterday, Namirembe Diocesan Bishop Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira, who is also the chairman Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC) National Election Steering Committee presented a preliminary report of their findings from the February 18 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
Bishop Wilberforce tasked the Electoral Commission to present a comprehensive statement elucidating why votes from a very large number of polling stations across the country were not in the results announced by the Commission.
“We urge the EC to issue a comprehensive statement as to why votes from a large number of polling stations in Rukungiri, Jinja, Kampala, Kyenjonjo and other districts were not included in the results announced by the commission on February 20,” Bishop Luwalira said.
“For instance, they cited Jinja District which had 399 polling stations but only 11 were computed by the commission in the final tally; Kyenjonjo contributed 60 polling stations out of 337 while Kampala had 1,176 polling stations declared out of 1,338 polling stations recorded with the commission. We have noticed from the results of presidential elections published by the EC that in Otuke, 28,789 people voted for the presidential candidates and there were no invalid votes. UJCC personnel observed elections in a few polling stations in Otuke and we have reservations regarding the authenticity of the figure about invalid votes published by the commission,” Bishop Luwalira stated.
In the UJCC statement, Bishop Luwalira also commended the eight presidential candidates for holding peaceful campaigns and applauded districts like Buhweju, Napak, Kapchorwa, Mitooma and Kween for registering a 70 per cent voter turnout during the presidential elections.
Speaking to the Daily Monitor, Electoral Commission spokesperson Mr Jotham Taremwa revealed that some of the affected areas whose results were not included in the final tally were as a result of ‘irregularities’.
“In some stations the votes cast were more than the registered voters. Areas where there was violence and materials burnt, we never supplied more and those had their stations cancelled automatically,” Mr Taremwa said.
Mr Jotham also said that it was observed that some people’s names were not found in the register. For example, 13 people in Rukungiri District and 10 voters from three polling stations in Kanungu District were turned down after their names could not be found on the voters’ roll.
The report further alleges that some election officials in Amolatar District were directing elderly people to vote for a particular presidential candidate, which sparked protests from the candidates’ agents.
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editor@ugchristiannews
Photo By Stephen Wandera – Addressing journalists at UJCC offices in Nsambya : Uganda Joint Christian Council National Election Steering Committee chairman Bishop Wilberforce Luwalira (R), and the executive secretary Slyvestor Arinaitwe.
