The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The postponement of the ruling by the NRM elections tribunal for the Rubanda East County NRM party flag bearer has angered residents.
The NRM’s elections dispute tribunal on Monday adjourned the ruling between the incumbent Henry Ariganyira Musasizi and the incumbent Rubanda district chairman Kenneth Jogo Biryabarema up to Friday. This is the fourth time the ruling is adjourned.
Tanga Odoi, the party’s National Electoral Commission chairperson confirmed the adjournment on Monday but declined to divulge more details.
On September 29th, the party cancelled the primaries to pave way for a fresh tally of votes from 16 disputed polling stations.
This followed a petition filed by Rubanda district chairman Kenneth Jogo Biryabarema, his main challenger in the race to Parliament. Musasizi had been declared the winner on September 5 after collecting 23,330 votes defeating Biryabarema who garnered 22,412 votes.
Biryabarema and his supporters accused Musasizi of conniving with the NRM district registrar Monday Aggrey, Gaudioza Kabondo, an official from the party’s National Electoral Commission and Dezi Christmas, the district party administrator to rig votes.
Monday was also faulted for deliberately tallying votes wrongly. He also argued that the registrars allowed Musasizi to sneak some of the declaration forms inside the tally centre for consideration while tallying.
Following the adjournment, there has also been heavy deployment of anti-riot police and Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) soldiers in Bubaare sub-county and Hamuhambo town council to quell demonstrators who had started blocking roads demanding for the declaration of Biryabarema as the winner.
The adjournment has sparked complaints with most of the voters faulting the commission of foul play.
Isaac Kyarikunda, from Hamurambi village in Hamuhambo town council says that the delay to give the ruling is unfair. He adds that if Musasizi and Biryabarema have failed to reach a compromise, the commission should announce a fresh election.
Melvin Arida, says that the presence of security officers in the area resulting from delays to release the results has created fear especially among boda cyclists who want to transact business in town without disruptions.
Abraham Twinamatsiko and Brian Ndyahimbisa note that such delays are indications that the commission is also not transparent.
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