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The Electoral Commission yesterday suspended the election of parliamentary candidates in Kibale and Kitagwenda Counties in the western district of Kamwenge over switched ballot boxes.
The ballot boxes for Kibale county were instead dispatched to Kitagwenda county and vice versa. At about 8:30 am hundreds of voters were stranded at the polling stations of Rwentuha, Nyakera and Kayinja in Kitagwenda County with no voting materials.
However, when the boxes were delivered and opened, the ballot papers instead had particulars for candidates from another constituency. Abass Namara, the Kamwenge district returning officer, said yesterday that elections for directly elected members of Parliament had been suspended in the two constituencies until further notice.
The Kibale County parliamentary seat is contested by Eng. Cuthbert Abigaba Mirembe of the National Resistance Movement and James Birungi of the Forum for Democratic Change.
In Kitagwenda, Agaba Abass Mugisha of the National Resistance Movement is up against George Spencer from Go Forward and independent candidates Jonathan Abaine, Nturagye Rashid and Charles Ahimbisibwe.
Meanwhile, the commission also suspended the election of directly elected Member of Parliament for Dokolo South in Dokolo district over inaccuracies on the ballot paper.
The ballot papers had interchanged pictures against the names of two candidates; Daniel Okello and Jasper Okello. The two are independent candidates in a race that attracted seven candidates.
The other contenders are National Resistance Movement party candidate Felix Okot Ogong, Uganda People’s Congress party candidate Denis Ekoch, Forum for Democratic Change party candidate Vincent Opito and independent candidates Edwin Odur and William Eram.
Daniel Okello, an affected candidate said the mix-up was deliberate. Okello wondered how his name was printed alongside a photograph of another candidate.
Jasper Okello, another affected candidate welcomed the suspension of the election but faulted the Electoral Commission for the irregularity.
In Bufumbira East EC called off the parliamentary election in Kisoro district following a petition from the NRM candidate, Dr James Nsaba Buturo over a mix-up of candidates’ symbols on the ballot.
Buturo was assigned a bicycle on the ballot paper instead of a bus, which is the official NRM symbol. Buturo’s independent rival, Eddie Kwizera Waghahungu accused his rival of cowardice. He said the postponement of the polls was uncalled for.
