Democratic Party bosses in Entebbe Municipality have filed a petition to the high court suing the Electoral Commission over it’s failure to organize free and fair youth polls. The Democratic Party decided to boycott the youth polls on Wednesday after chaos and melee erupted at several polling stations. Addressing a press conference at St. Joseph’s Katabi Primary School on Friday Ssenoga Mivuule the Entebbe Municipality Democratic Party chairman blasted the Electoral commission over the sham youth polls and vowed to seek justice in the courts of law.
Ssenoga and other DP Stalwarts who attended the heated press conference including his Vice Chairman Mayor Kayanja Vincent DePaul revealed that the EC vehemently refused to avail them with copies of registers to enable them verify the names of the registered youth voters. They also accused the EC of conniving with the ruling National Resistance Movement to deliberately delete names of those belonging to the Democratic Party from all the registers including their candidates.
Ssenoga also pinned some NRM Members whom he said bribed voters including secondary school students. He accused some army officers of being partisan and deploying soldiers at some polling stations including Lunyo central, Katabi Busambaga, Misoli Kigungu to frustrate and intimidate Democratic Party voters.
“We have evidence that some soldiers were deployed at some polling stations to intimidate and frustrate our supporters. By doing this they have acted in a partisan manner contrary to the constitution. We are now seeking justice in the courts of law to nullify all the elections” Ssenoga stated.
He added: We couldn’t participate in an electoral process marred by chaos, voter bribery and intimidation.
However some of the army officers who spoke on condition of anonymity rubbished Ssenoga’s statements as mere allegations with no proof.
“Let him produce evidence that some soldiers intimidated and frustrated their supporters and voters. He is just concocting stories to find excuses” an army officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
After DP had boycotted the youth polls at St. Joseph’s Primary School NRM proceeded with the polls and Amooti Joseph Katusabe was elected Youth Chairman Katabi Busambaga with 72 votes while the independent candidate Moses Zziwa got 17 votes. The DP Candidate Kasule Reagan also boycotted the polls.
Efforts to talk to some EC officials proved futile after they refused to comment on the chaos that had characterized the polls.
