President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is with bitter with ministers and members of the ruling party for losing the recent parliamentary polls.
The head of state has released an official statement condemning acts of violence and intimidation that rock the country during the NRM party parliamentary elections last week.
“NRM has finally come to grips with one of the major factors of destabilization in the politics of Uganda” says Mr. Museveni. This is the criminal act of vote-rigging that nullifies the sovereignty of the People. We, who are in the NRM, have been fighting this ever-since 1961- that is 59 years of struggle.
The riggings of 1961-62, took two forms: intimidation and vandalism in many parts of Uganda, especially in Buganda, including the cutting of coffee of opponents, as well as massive rigging by multiple voting, ballot stuffing, altering results, gerrymandering Constituencies, etc. The last rigged elections were in April 1962. We never had elections again until 1980.
Before those elections, the NRM forerunners (Fronasa, UPM, UNLF) tried unsuccessfully to close all the loopholes of cheating and in 1986, we gained control and in 1989, when we expanded the NRC, we started on the long journey of combating rigging. However, it has been part of my mission since 1961 to contribute to the ending of votes rigging in Uganda and determined to close these gaps.
The issue of bribery, threats, attacks, etc. is for the Police and the Public to capture the evidence and we deal with these criminals. These measures will free the voting process of the Country from crooks. However, with the 1995 Constitution, it was decided to go for secret ballot even when we were still using the Electoral College system.
Then the problems of bribery started. This provoked the pressure to go for universal suffrage but with the secret ballot. Still, the problems of cheating persisted because whatever precautions we took, they depended on human vigilance, which was not always assured.
When we came from the bush, we used the method of lining up behind candidates of our choice and it was very transparent and that’s why at the recent CEC Conference at Chobe, we decided to go for lining up for transparency broad daylight.
The cheating in the NRM Primaries is over and those who beat People, like in Bukono, are all in jail or on the run. Minister Rukutana is in jail and will be prosecuted while others will be fully accountable with robust charges including assault, attempted murder, murder etc.
He added that those who altered results will be jailed for forgery, fraud, subversion etc and their forgeries will not stand. We do not even have to repeat the elections except where they were not held. The NRM will end rigging in Uganda by the digitalized biometric voter registration and by transparency through lining behind candidates or their photographs within the NRM.
NRM Party Power Brokers On Stretcher Named:
1.Evelyn Anite (State Minister – Privatisation) – Koboko Municipality
2.Adolf Mwesigye (Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs) – Bunyangabu County
3.Elioda Tumwesigye (Minister of Science and Technology) – Sheema Municipality
4.Henry Okello Oryem (State Minister – Foreign Affairs) – Chua East Constituency
5.Mwesigwa Rukutana (State Minister – Labour) – Rushenyi County
6.Ephraim Kamuntu (Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs) – Sheema South
7.John Byabagambi (Minister of Karamoja Affairs) – Ibanda South
8.Mary Karoro Okurut (Minister General Duties OPM) – Bushenyi Woman MP
9.Molly Kamukama (State Minister for Economic Monitoring in the Office of the President) – Kazo Woman MP
10.Peter Kibanzanga (Minister of State Agriculture) – Bughendera County
11.Fr. Simon Lokodo (Minister of Ethics and Integrity) – Dodoth
12.Tarsis Kabwegyere (Former Minister i/c General Duties OPM) – Igara West,
13.Micheal Tusiime – Incumbent Mbarara City
14.Hatwib Katoto – Incumbent Katerera Constituency
15.Lydia Wanyoto (NRM Chair Women’s League) – Mbale Woman MP
16.Karungi Elizabeth Beikirizze – Kanungu Woman MP
17.Kajungu Mutambi Rosette Christine – Mbarara Woman MP
18.Abbas Agaba Mugisha – Kitagwenda County
19.Simeo Nsubuga – Kassanda South
20.James Waluswaka – Bunyole West
21.Gordon Arinda Kakuuma Cowboy – Ishaka – Bushenyi Municipality.
