Even though extra time has been allocated for counting to wrap up in areas where counting is still on going, NCD is making history as the most delayed and disrupted electorate in the country.
Yesterday Quality Checks had to be halted before the resumption of count 19 due to the scrutineers demanding the serial numbers for both the ballot boxes and the papers, which according to the counting officials should not be the case.
Benjamin Wapa, an Assistant Returning Officer from the North-West electorate, assisting the counting for the Regional seat, explained that as per the advice from the Election Manager, counting should proceed without any disruptions.
He said that they are assisting due to the demands from the scrutineers. “They are demanding that they must have Serial Numbers.
Serial Numbers are always given during the primary count, when we come to the QC, we don’t have to give serial numbers, the number of ballot papers used, unused, set aside and destroyed.
That information is given in the primary count,” Wapa said.
The scrutineers were demanded that the officials give them all that information before they proceed with the QC.
Wapa said this should not be as with the QC, they are now trying to identify the total number of papers, check for formal and informal just to check and balance them out to see if they correlate.
So far, 18 counts of the QC have been confirmed to have been gone through but by this time it may differ.
Mr. Wapa then added that despite their calls for the serial numbers to be given, QC will continue.