Lack of funding for polls security operations a concern

ELECTORAL Commissioner Patilias Gamato is concerned about the lack of funding allocated for security operations during the local level government elections starting this month.
“There is no budget for security in the funding that we have,” he said.
He hopes that the police force will secure the funding separately from the operation budget to provide security. He also hopes that there will not be too much trouble since the LLG elections are village-based.
“In this case you will appreciate that everybody knows each other in the wards so they should not have any problems during the polling and counting,” Gamato said.
He urged everyone to support the work of the Electoral Commission.
“Let’s have a free, fair and safe election,” he said. The dates for the LLG elections had to be changed after the Supreme Court upheld a stay order on it starting.
“But it later lifted the stay order and allowed the exercise to go ahead.
“Most of the materials have been dispatched to the provinces waiting for the decision so they can further dispatch them to the districts and LLG levels,” Gamato said. “We have brought polling and counting dates (closer).
“So straight after the polls, counting will take place, unlike the national election where counting is done at a central venue after polling is completed.”
Gamato said presiding officers were authorised to announce the results.
“But it will be a provision declaration,” he said.
“The declaration and signing of writs will be done in front of the Returning Officer. And the Returning Officer will make the official declaration.”
He said it was an important election “as it belongs to the people”.
“We will use the Limited Preference Voting system,” Gamato said.