Kampala — THE Electoral Commission (EC) is ready for the 2011 general elections, the chairman, Eng. Badru Kiggundu, has said.

He, however, said funds and other materials were not yet in place. He also warned against chaos, saying security organs were ready to apprehend culprits.

Kiggundu is touring the countryside to get familiar with electoral issues in various districts.

"I have all the faith in Ugandan laws and procedures and we must not promote chaos during elections. If we do, then security is there, since they have never failed us," he explained.

He said many people had asked the commission whether what happened in Kenya and Zimbabwe during the presidential elections would not happen in Uganda. Our electoral system is well-defined, with specific Acts in Parliament to deal with elections, unlike in the other countries," Kiggundu said.

"We have never violated these Acts; why then should we do it in 2011?" he asked.

The EC boss said the commission needs about sh29b to conduct LC1 and LC2 elections at more than 65,000 polling stations in about 60,000 villages in the country.

"The sh15b that we had earlier on estimated to conduct elections of LC1 and LC2 is no longer enough, with the creation of many districts and villages. The cost has since gone up to sh29b, which we have submitted to the Government and are waiting. Each of these villages is a polling station.

"Some of these villages have thousands of voters who need more manpower to handle them," Kiggundu told Gulu deputy chief administrative officer (CAO) Stephen Oloya and the clerk to council, Charles Uma during a meeting in the CAO's office on Wednesday.

He said the commission had received threats of being sued by some districts, including Gulu, for delaying by-elections to fill vacant positions. He said he had explained to President Yoweri Museveni the need to conduct by-elections in these districts.