Parliament asks Govt to explain 2021 ballot paper deal that led to sacking of top EC officials

Parliament has directed government to explain in detail the 2021 ballot paper deal that climaxed with the sacking of top Electoral Commission officials early this week.

On Wednesday, the Kira Municipality Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda raised a matter of national importance about the bidding process of printing the ballot papers for the 2021 general election.

Ssemujju raised concern over the failure by the Attorney General or the Justice Minister to respond to earlier queries about the procurement process for the printing of ballot paper ahead of the forthcoming polls.

“Madam Speaker you recall I raised a matter of national importance regarding the printing of ballot papers for the next general election and informed parliament that one of the candidates at presidential level had taken away that responsibility from the Electoral Commission and contracted a Germany company called Veridos to print the ballot papers,”Ssemujju told parliament.

“I read in the papers that some Electoral Commission officers were interdicted because they cancelled the (Veridos) deal.”

The legislator asked parliament to summon government to explain circumstances surrounding the same.

In response, Speaker Kadaga asked the clerk to include the matter on the order paper and asked either the Attorney General or Justice Minister to come and respond to the queries.

“I will ask the Clerk to put it on the order paper so that the Attorney General or the Minister of Justice can come and explain that issue to this house,”Kadaga said.

President Museveni on Tuesday fired eight senior Electoral Commission officers including Sam Rwakoojo(secretary), Joseph Lwanga(Director Finance and  Administrator ), Godfrey Wanyoto (head of procurement); Jotham Taremwa (Public Relations Officer); Pontius Namugera (Information Technology director), Jordan Lubega (Administrator networks); Charles Musuza and Edgar Kasigwa (data specialists).

According to reports, the sacking stems from the rejection of a bid by Veridos   Identity Solutions GMBH, a German company that had earlier got a joint venture deal with Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) to print money and other security printing deals for government.

It is said the president had recommended the company to take the deal of printing the 2021 ballot papers but the same was ignored by the Electoral Commission.

Why Museveni ordered for the sacking of EC’s Rwakoojo, Taremwa

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