Donors withdraw funds for inspection of ballot papers

The Nile Post has learnt that donors who have been sponsoring political party agents to monitor the ballot printing process outside the country have pulled out after Uganda allegedly failed to make electoral reforms as per the recommendations of the Supreme Court after the 2016 elections.

The arrangement of sponsoring party agents to witness the ballot printing process started during the 2011 general election.

Through the the Inter Party Platform for Dialogue (IPOD), election stakeholders agreed to send agents to monitor the process of printing ballots out of the country.

This was meant to build trust in the process according to sources privy to the engagements.

The IPOD executive secretary, Frank Rusa, said the arrangement was aimed at "building confidence in the election process."

Now sources say donors have withdrawn their funds from the process, leaving political players in a panic mood.

Rusa acknowledged that there was failure by the member parties to foresee this withdraw.

FDC spokesperson, Ssemujju Nganda, insisted it was the responsibility of the Electoral Commission to fund this process.

“This is public work. There is no way FDC is going to pay and accommodate a person who is going to do Uganda's work. Uganda must pay for that person”, he said.

NRM's Emmanuel Dombo told the Nile Post that the ruling NRM “will meet all the necessary funding” for their agents to inspect “this important part” of the election.

“We shall get involved in every step of the elections," Dombo emphasized.