Justice Simon Byabakama (L), Tashobya (C) and another official
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The Electoral Commission (EC) temporarily suspended the use of the Use Of Biometric Machines Voter Verification Kits (BVVK) after massive failures in polling stations countrywide.
“We decided to suspend the use of BVVK machines to enable thousands of Ugandans vote,” he said in an earlier interview, adding that they have since sent a directive to returning officers to use the manual register.
During a press briefing at their offices in Industrial Area in Kampala on Tuesday, the EC Chairman, Justice Simon Byabakama said that the commission has a backup plan in case the BVVK kits fail.
He said that they were sending two BVVK kits per polling station, with one on standby. “We don’t expect both of them to fail. We will ensure that every voter will get a chance to cast their vote,” he said.
Habari Daily can confirm that some polling stations opened at as late as 11:00pm, due to failure of BVV kits, and in some instances, lack of voter’s material. This is despite the fact that the EC boss had assured the country that they will dispatch the voting material on time.
In some instances, many polling stations around the country received communication that the commission had suspended the use of BVVK machines towards 11:00am, meaning that the voting process kicked off towards midday.
This is a developing story. Habari Daily will keep you updated, up to until when re final results have been communicated.
About the Author
