DON’T BE SO OPEN TO JOURNALISTS -SHEEMA RETURNING OFFICER WARNS

Posted On 24 Jul 2018

By : mk

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By Atwakiire Michael Bitunga

By Atwakiire Micheal Bitunga,

352 people have passed and given jobs as presiding officers and polling assistants in Sheema municipality for the forth coming elections due Friday 27th July 2018

seven candidates are competing for legislature seat and two candidates for mayor.

Miss Debrah, the district returning officer while training both presiding officers and polling assistants which took place in the central division main hall on 23rd July 2018 warned them on avoid being open to journalists especially on the day of elections.
“And I want to tell you this, avoid some people like journalists who will come asking you this and this, please answer simple questions forexample if they ask you the time you have started elections, but don’t answer those tricky questions, just refer them to us because you may bring confusion at the polling stations ” She warned

The trained presiding officers were also requested to stop the bad habit of grabbing the electoral commission’s materials like basins, polythene bags, buckets that are given to them.
“we have faced this challenge so many times in various places like kasaana and kitagata sub counties not knowing that the electoral commission asks for them ” Debrah

They were also asked not to break the seal before 5 witnesses have reached at the polling station. The 5 witnesses must be voters at that polling station and then after their names in the voter’s register are marked with a star.
she added that this is to help the Electoral commission in case of any appeal in court concerning malpractice.