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By Sir Simon Muyanga Lutaaya

The country is discussing the embarrassing conduct of NRM party primaries for Parliamentary flagbearers with much disgust and scorn.

A cocktail of election offenses and malpractices that characterized the September 4 polls are denting the party’s democratic credentials but also exposing the country’s political immaturity, poverty, greed, abuse of power, monetization of elections and unprecedented impunity.

Nonetheless, NRM’s desire for open democracy of voters lining – up behind candidates is the best method for selecting party flagbearers. For it saves time, checks against and could go a long way in reducing the backlog of election petitions that result from each round of polls with a strain on time and resources for conflict resolution.

I want to agree with President Yoweri Museveni that the methods unlike secret ballot which puts the election management more into the hands of the election officers, lining up puts more confidence and trust in the hands of the voters since the voters of the winner and the loser make up the first group of witnesses and evidence is all over for everyone to see. The candidates agents and election officials unless compromised provide the second category of witnesses in a manner that can solve the disputes right at the polling station.

Besides, in case of a disagreement the voters can be asked to line up again to re-affirm their choice.

It is unfortunate that the enlightened and senior members of the party betrayed their election institution and their party chairman who advocated for lining up and hoped it would eliminate the chaos we witnessed in 2015 and be an example for other parties. Had it been the youths who held their elections a fortnight ago, the country would excuse them for being young, ambitious, inexperienced and so on but not senior leaders majority of who are incumbent MPs.

Mr. Museveni’s post-election statement satisfactorily highlighted the electoral malpractices used by his own flock to mess up an exercise that would have sent the party chest thumping if it had ended successfully. So they denied their own party the credit it deserved, they cannot claim to love their party because clearly it was their interests first and party last.

In the primaries, the underage voted, lining up was rejected in some parts where fraudsters simply agreed to share up votes and fill the DR forms. No wonder in some cases voters exceeded the numbers in the register. In some instances the register was suspended.

I must also admit that Mr.Museveni hijacked the exercise from Dr.Tanga Odoi when he suspended the registers on the eve of the elections and allowed everyone “known to be a member” to vote well aware that becoming a member of NRM is a minute thing. The register is the cornerstone of an election, it cannot be treated with such contempt. Surprisingly, Dr.Tanga has praised Museveni’s last minute decision!

He opened the door for the unethical election officials in disputed areas like Kaliro,Erute,Njeru,Sheema and Jinja among others.But cases like Hon.Mary Karooro Okurut and Eng.John Byabagambi who were quick to concede defeat explain the beauty of lining up as a method of election.

I was happy to know that Mr. Museveni knew all the mess in the primaries as he wrote. Had he been Ambassador Wasswa Birigwa, the chairman of my party FDC I would have advised that the statement is discussed by NEC and become a working document for future improvements.

General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni – The President and Chairman of the NRM has admitted the party primaries were below expectation and vowed to deal with the impunity among his members.

Or did NRM underestimate their support? The numbers of contestants for each position would have sent a warning to Dr. Tanga Odoi that the stakes were high and so was the demand on election administration. Is this the harvest of the 35yrs of a party that dominates our political space and wants to position itself as the leading political point of reference? Opposition parties have borrowed a lot from the NRM knowingly or otherwise. A case in point is the regionalization of the presidency and the chairmanship of parties. All parties have regional Vice Presidents, regional Vice Chairpersons among others. Should they borrow the chaos, violence, voter disenfranchisement, bribery, intimidation and murder that the political leading party has exhibited?

FDC should therefore provide NRM a leaf on election management. I have seen how clear and transparent elections have been handled in FDC. Even the one that threatened the party (Mugisha Muntu Vs Nandala Mafabi) was handled and peacefully settled. It helped Muntu run his Presidency until he left. His departure too has been well managed so has been his building of the ANT.

The mess in the NRM primaries has indicted the party’s top leaders.

Incumbent MPS especially betrayed their party, electoral commission and National Chairman. Museveni looked visibly angry and disappointed as he talked about the mess perhaps to say “All my lectures have fallen on deaf ears”. As a teacher I would advise the President to review his teaching methods and learning materials. If the in-house competition has gone with six (6) lives, the general elections could take 20. I am a victim of election violence, I almost lost a life on Feb 16, 2016. I therefore hate it in  all its forms

The NRM must also own up and officially apologize to the nation. You now know it is not NUP or People Power or FDC that is violent as institutions, it’s the people and the solution can be collectively sought from the IPOD or other uniting structures.

All said and done I congratulate the NRM for exhibiting mass support, high competition. There were candidates on all positions everywhere, enthusiasm, exchange of ideas and the renewal of membership to the party. This ignited the political discourse stealing even the attention on non – members into the affairs of the party and it has been good to know and learn from the good and bad in the mass party as my party FDC prepares to replace you. We will simply draw lessons and do better.

The writer is a journalist and an Aspiring MP for Bulamogi
County, Kaliro District.

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