MAO CRITICISES EC ON VOTERS CARDS

Democratic Party president Nobert Mao yesterday criticised plans by the Electoral Commission not to issue voters’ cards ahead of next year’s general elections.
Speaking at a breakfast meeting organised by a democracy advocacy agency, Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) in Kampala on Thursday, Mr Mao said his party will not buy the national electoral body’s idea.EC chairman Dr Badru Kiggundu had earlier been tasked by Doboozi editor-in-chief Kalungi Serumaga to explain why the EC has decided not to issue voters cards.
Kiggundu urges
In a separate interview, Dr Kiggundu told Sunday Monitor that the voters will only be required to present themselves at the polling stations and their details will be confirmed then.
Dr Kiggundu, however, said those already having the cards should carry them along to their polling stations on the voting day. However, Mr Mao castigated the move by EC as a ploy to manoeuvre the electoral process and leave loopholes for open rigging of votes. He said he will seek audience with the EC to get clarity on how the voting exercise is to be carried out without voters’ cards.
“The EC has no excuse not to issue voters cards because a German firm [Muelhbauer High Tech International] was contracted to process the cards for all Ugandans who are eligible to vote,” Mr Mao said