By URN
The Electoral Commission has received presidential ballot papers ahead of the forthcoming general elections, in which eight candidates are competing for the topmost political position in the country.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday night at Entebbe International Airport, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Justice Simon Byabakama, confirmed that the consignment consists of 193 pallets of presidential ballot papers delivered from Dubai.
Justice Byabakama said he was at the airport together with fellow commissioners, senior technical staff of the Electoral Commission, and representatives of political parties to oversee the receipt of the sensitive electoral materials.
“This evening, we are receiving the first consignment, which consists of 193 pallets of presidential ballot papers that have arrived from Dubai,” Justice Byabakama said.
The papers, printed by a Dubai-based firm, Al Ghurair Printing & Publishing Company, came aboard a privately chartered cargo aircraft operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic for the Network Aviation Group. The specific aircraft, with registration TF-AKE, arrived at around 9pm, and offloading started immediately when the Electoral Commission Chairperson and representatives of political parties arrived at the airport.
The offloading and loading onto trucks went on throughout the night amidst tight security. They were then taken onto trucks that had earlier arrived in a heavily guarded convoy of Counter Terrorism policemen and women.
Justice Byabakama assured the public that the ballot papers are under tight security at the airport and emphasized that there is no risk of interference.“They are very safe and very secure. There is absolutely no doubt about their security,” he noted.
According to the Electoral Commission Chairperson, the ballot papers have been clearly organized and labeled by district to ease handling, transportation, and distribution across the country. Some of the boxes sealed with red cellotape seen by our reporter included Wakiso, Isingiro, Kiboga, Mayuge, and Kasese, among other districts.
“These ballot papers are marked by district. This arrangement will help us pack them accordingly and distribute them efficiently to their respective destinations,” Byabakama said.
