Earlier this week, the Electoral Commission sent an inspection team to travel to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, United Kingdom, and South Africa to observe the printing, packing and delivery of ballot papers.
The EC also invited political parties and candidates participating in the 2021 elections to nominate official agents for accreditation to go and witness the printing at their own cost.
Different parties turned down the invite of sending agents to witness the process. The Democratic Party presidential candidate Norbert Mao has said that though it’s good for parties to send agents, but it adds nothing to the entire electoral process.
“We don’t think it was wise to go and watch the ballot printing. We will follow them on boda bodas after the voting,” said Mao.
He also said that it would have been better if the EC was facilitating political parties to send agents abroad to witness ballot printing because witnessing the printing by political players sanitizes the process and gives it legitimacy.
Following an outcry from different political players about Police disrupting their scheduled campaigns, the EC yesterday wrote to the Inspector General of Police instructing the police to ensure every presidential candidate has smooth campaign meetings with zero disruption.
According to Mao, violence is primitive and destructive and it will end when people move to nullify the power of guns and bullets.
“As leaders, we should speak the language of nonviolence and peace. There are those who are watering violence. I belong to a party that doesn’t condone violence,” he said.