By Kabuye Ronald
Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has written to the electoral commission to provide it with the law that forbids the use of cameras and phones at the polling station.
FDC’s Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi in the letter dated January 6th, 2020 to secretary to electoral commission questions electoral commission how it expects them to report irregularities and provide evidence at the polling station unless the commission wants to rig elections.
“How do we report cases of irregularities and provide evidence at polling station without the use of phones or cameras, unless you want to rig elections.
If you are saying it’s a transparent election, why do you stop observing and comment on the process with equipment which enhance transparency?
How does use of camera and phones affect the credibility of the electoral process?
Our agent at the polling station uses a phone to communicate with the party or the appointing authority. If you refuse a phone how will he/she communicate?” questioned Mafabi
In the same way, Nandala Mafabi wants the electoral commission to confirm to them that the electoral process has been taken over by security.
“We are aware that the security is planning to intimidate, beat people and ballot stuff at polling stations. Without phones and cameras, how will this evidence be got? Confirm that the security has taken over the electoral process.
You have threatened that the security deals with any person who goes against the electoral commission directives. Under what law are you applying these unlawful directives?” asked Nandala
It should be noted that on Wednesday, the Electoral Commission (EC) chairperson confirmed that voters will not be allowed to stay behind after casting their ballots while journalist’s cameras and visual recording devices like phones will also not be allowed near the ballot boxes.
