The Kiira region election officer, Emmanuel Matsiko has said that the Electoral Commission-EC will blacklist all their staff implicated in election malpractice related tendencies.
Speaking to political leaders and civil society organization-CSO actors, during the post-election evaluation meeting held at Iganga district headquarters last Friday, Matsiko said that they have put in place a system where all their staff implicated in jeopardizing the smooth execution of the electoral process shall be registered.
Matsiko argues that several individuals have raised complaints about some sub county supervisors and polling officials alike, who reportedly connive with selected political actors to frustrate efforts of fairness during the execution of the electoral cycle. He however said investigations are ongoing to ascertain the merits in the allegations against them.
He made it clear that the blacklist initiative is aimed at ensuring that individuals implicated in malpractice scandals are never employed by EC during implementation of future electoral cycles. He adds that, such stringent measures will foster recruitment of only individuals with high quality moral standards to mane the electoral process.
Matsiko further stressed that they have earmarked a special program of rallying members of the general public, political actors and EC staff alike on the dangers of involving themselves in bribery tendencies, as the same vices kill the essence of fair play during the electoral process.
Yusuf Akubonabona, the Kaliro district assistant chief administrative officer said that EC should ensure timely civic education sessions so as to sensitize the wider population on their roles and responsibilities during the execution of the electoral process.
Akubonabona further stressed that key implementers in the electoral cycle should harmonize on their respective roles, which will reduce conflicts and in turn foster EC’s independence while handling electoral processes at various levels.
Meanwhile, Ruth Nakayima, the Iganga district female workers’ councilor says that, cases of multiple voting were registered at the different polling stations under the watch of polling officials.
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