Police battles voters, candidates in Kabalagala parish youth elections

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Candidates from the National Unity Platform-NUP have boycotted a re-run of parish youth elections in parts of Kabalagala, a suburb of Kampala. The candidates said they could not take part in a process that is characterised by chaos.

The NUP candidates had invited their party area coordinators to oversee the process. However, when they arrived at the polling stations, Electoral Commission officials asked them to remove the red masks and opt for non-partisan colors before accessing the polling centre.

Ugandan electoral laws prohibit any person from displaying any emblem, ensign, badge, label, ribbon, flag, banner, card or device intended or likely to be taken as a distinguish or supporter of any candidate while in a polling station.

But while some of the voters obliged to get rid of the red masks, some of them were denied access upon their return sparking a verbal exchange between the NUP team and security officers who were manning the polling centre. As the argument intensified, security was heightened and all non-voters asked to vacate the site.

Although the NUP candidates boycotted the polls, the voting took place. EC presiding officer Janan Nabbosa said that although some of the candidates boycotted the election and opted out of the race, that couldn’t justify the cancellation of the election. She added that those who boycotted had a right to do so and those who took part in the process also exercised their right.

Ivan Ndaishaba, the NRM candidate who won the chairmanship of Kabalagala parish in the contested election told URN that the NUP counterparts wanted to use their leaders to disorganize the election.

Members of the NUP and people power camp insisted that the election was rigged in favour of the NRM candidates. Kenneth Male, the deputy NUP-coordinator for Makindye East accused the police of exhibiting partiality in the execution of its mandate. He added that two of their leaders in the area were arrested.

Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson Patrick Onyango confirmed the arrests but dismissed reports that the police took sides in favour of the NRM candidates. He says that the police only came in to calm the situation and arrested two of the unruly supporters during the operation.

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URN