The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has refused to concede defeat in the Jinja East parliamentary by-election, saying it was marred by violence, multiple voting, bribery and intimidation.
In a press briefing hours after FDC’s Paul Mwiru was declared winner by the Electoral Commission, NRM Secretary General Justine Lumumba said she had instructed the party’s lawyers to look at the evidence and consider appealing in court.
“As the NRM we wish to state that the election was riddled with various electoral malpractices that included multiple voting, voter bribery, intimidation of voters and acts of violence. I have hence forth instructed our lawyers to assess the evidence for far gathered and advise on the appropriate course of action,” Lumumba said.
“Known NRM supporters were warned of dire consequences should the NRM emerge victorious, goons were stations at residences of many NRM supporters to scare they away from the polling stations. The chairman of the NRM task force was roughed up on polling day.”
The NRM now says they will not concede defeat and are taking the case to court. #NTVNews
NRM party secretary-general Justine Lumumba revealed this in a press conference she convened in Jinja town. https://t.co/bJYvmp9Ffy pic.twitter.com/VLs7MrtPvh
— NTV UGANDA (@ntvuganda) March 16, 2018
Mwiru was declared winner of the hotly contested Jinja East by-election, getting 6654 votes (56%) against NRM Nathan Igeme Nabeta’s 5043 (42%) .
The seat fell vacant in January following a Court of Appeal ruling that upheld an earlier ruling by the Jinja High Court which overturned Nabeta’s win because of rigging through falsification of election results at Danida A-D polling station, which put him (Nabeta) at an advantage in the February 2016 elections.
This is the second time Mwiru is winning through a by-election.
In 2012, Mwiru polled 7758 votes against 6057 votes for Nabeta. The bye election followed a 2011 Court of Appeal ruling on the case filed by Mwiru in which Nabeta’s election was nullified on grounds of lack of minimum academic qualifications and voter bribery.
