IPOD tasks EC on SOPs to be followed on polling day
The Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue(IPOD) has tasked the Electoral Commission to explain what they considered while imposing a ban on campaigns in 13 cities and towns.
The remarks were made by the IPOD members after a closed door meeting with the chairperson of the EC, Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama.
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The meeting was initiated following the commission’s suspension of campaign meetings in 13 districts due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases.
Some of these districts include; Kampala, Wakiso, Luwero, Kalungu, Mbarara,Kabarole,Fort Portal,Masaka, Jinja, Tororo, Kasese among others.
IPOD members led by executive secretary Frank Russa demanded that the electoral body comes clear on a range of issues, including social distancing on voting day, sanitising after using the biometric machines, and ballot paper handling.
According to the deputy secretary general of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Harold Kaija, despite the spike of Covid-19 cases in these areas, Electoral Commission should have explained the method used to form the decision.
Kaija noted that the answer they got from from the electoral body was that their decision was made basing on the advice that was given to them by the ministry of Health.
IPOD urged the electoral commission to release guidelines to be followed to prevent the spread of Covid- 19 on the polling day.
Justine Kasule Lumumba, the NRM secretary general noted that the law allows voters to remain at the polling station but due to the pandemic the electoral commission has the mandate to guide further.
In his response Byabakama promised to engage scientists on the matter and forge a way forward.
