Kampala — About 40,000 local and international observers are to monitor the elections today.

Electoral Commission (EC) chief Badru Kiggundu said yesterday he had accredited over 600 international observers and more were expected today.

The European Union (EU) has sent 200 foreign observers headed by Max van den Berg.

Van den Berg said his members had deployed across the country.

Victor Tonchi, the spokesperson for the African Union (AU) team, said 16 members had been deployed in Entebbe (south), Jinja (east), Mbarara and Hoima in western Uganda.

The Commonwealth team is led by former Botswana head Sir Ketumile Masire. The team comprises senior officials from India, Zambia, Ghana, South Africa, New Zealand, Sierra Leone and the UK.

Of the 200 EU observers, 80 were flown in from Europe and the rest were locally recruited among European embassy staff. They include Chris Mullin, former minister for Africa in the British government, European MPs Johan van Hecke (Belgium), Filip Kaczmarek (Poland), Fernand le Rachinel (France)and Marfil Garcia Margallo (Spain).

The EU core team arrived a month ago and will stay to handle possible post-election petitions.