FDC protests Hoima election results

Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Forum for Democratic Change -FDC will officially challenge results of the just concluded Hoima woman MP By-election.

The election was held on Thursday where Harriet Mugenyi Businge, the National Resistance Movement-NRM Flag bearer was declared the winner after she garnered 33,301 votes. FDC’s Asinansi Nyakato garnered 28,789 votes in the hotly contested election.

According to Nyakato, the election was marred by gross voter bribery, brutal arrests and detention of her supporters, agents and supervisors, Intimidation, ballot stuffing and vote rigging by NRM officials and some security operatives.

Nyakato says she has all the evidence pining some top security operatives and the NRM officials while they were indulging in the illegal acts during the election.

Speaking to Uganda Radio Network on Saturday morning, Nyakato says she is not contented with the election results saying she is going to court to seek for justice.

She says following the irregularities that characterized the election, what they thought could be free and fair election became impossible.

Nyakato says she would seek a court order to annul the election results and also to recount all the votes cast. She however does not mention when she will file her election petition.

She described herself as the duly elected Hoima woman MP whereas Businge who was declared winner by the electoral commission is a state MP.

Jenepher Karungi, the Hoima Forum for Democratic-FDC acting Chairperson says the election was characterized by a lot of irregularities and therefore they cannot allow such gross anomalies to happen saying they are ready to face off with NRM in court.

She calls on their supporters to be strong,remain calm and continue to support the party saying victory belongs to them.

Harold Kaija, the Deputy Secretary General Forum for Democratic change-FDC says the election was rigged at gunpoint saying the heavy deployment of the military during and after the election is a clear manifestation that people did not have their own freedom as they went to vote.

He says the heavy military deployment forced some of their supporters to abandon voting since they feared to be arrested for supporting FDC. Kaija says they will first look at the implication before challenging the election results.

However, Simon Byabakama, the Electoral Commission chairperson says the election went on smoothly adding that this was the first free and fair election he has ever witnessed and supervised.

Julius Hakiza, the Albertine region police spokesperson says FDC supporters who were arrested wanted to cause chaos during and after the election.

The Hoima woman MP was vacant after Tophace Kaahwa Byagira, the former woman MP opted to represent the people of the newly created Kikuube district that was carved out of Hoima and became operational on July 1,2018.

*****

URN