KAMPALA – The NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi has revealed that the most of Western Uganda recorded high levels of violent confrontations in the just concluded NRM primary elections.
Dr Odoy said it was only Mbarara that was peaceful as the rest of the districts exhibited violence.
“Right from Hoima, up to Fort portal, Kyenjojo, Kyegegwa. You go to Sheema, I had to stock myself here for a long time and Bushenyi too,” he said.
He noted that the candidates that caused the violence just missed by whisker from being disqualified.
“Because what they’re exhibiting in the field shows that if I had had time to interrogate their behavior, I should have dismissed or suspended or disqualified many of them,” he said.
Dr. Tanga, speaking in Mbarara where he had gone to defuse tensions as a result of controversy in the declaration of Rwampara and Ntungamo polls also announced he had cancelled the Kiruhura results after malpractices. Dr. Odoi already suspended elections of Mawogola West and North, where Predident Museveni’s younger brother Sodo Kaguta, is running against Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa’s daughter Shartsi Musherure.
“The one of Bukono in Namutumba, I am going to seat with my team and analyze and see whether the elections can take place or where we can re-vote and add up,” he noted.
According to the NRM EC boss, the issue in Rwampara district is not the election of the men MPS, it is the election for the district Woman Member of Parliament that cause more controversy.
“Both candidates have declared themselves winners and they have become electoral commission without allowing the EC to do it’s work.”
He added that anyone he announces as Woman MP is the right one and if anyone feels it is not fair, they are free to petition.
“I’m not going to be intimidated by anybody. I don’t do my work through intimation. We are tearing the results, we are saying in this area,this was right,this was wrong. We are going to add up, and what we add is what we shall tell this public. How they respond to it,is up to them,” he vowed.
He further advised the public not to let the candidates incite them to fight what he called useless wars.
Dr Odoi further said an entire subcounty in Rushenyi, where Minister Mwesigwa Rukutana ran into trouble did not vote because the registrar ran away with the forms.
“The registrar took material, took money and just ran away. He is about to be netted at the border of Tanzania. You cannot escape within East Africa and our security system will not track you especially the fact that he is using his phone. The fact that he is telephoning his family,they are about to get where he is,” said Dr. Odoi.
Commenting on the shooting incident, Dr Odoi said it is attributed to Hon Rukutana and not the NRM.
“I have not got the full details, my team is there but I can allay the fears of the people. If any person does that and we can get him properly, that person will be disqualified,” he warned.
According to Dr Odoi, there’s attitude and arrogance among Ugandans of NRM who think they can bully everyone.
“This is not the first incident Hon. Rukutana is involved in, for this one, I have not got the insight, but once I get it and it relates to his election, I will cancel that one,” he promised.
He further reported a case in Tororo where a subcounty registrar was killed.
“People run on him and beat him up to death, that result will not be entered,”
He urged the public not to lose their lives because of elections.
“Your peace is more important than election violence.”
Overwhelmed by the violence and other malpractices in the NRM polls, President Museveni also party chairman on Saturday evening announced that those promoting the vices would be harshly handled, through criminal prosecution.
“We should not allow crooks to pollute our massive force that you saw yesterday. Down with crooks,” he wtote.
“I am not Tanga Odoi but my entering from the criminal side, which is my Constitutional duty as President, will help Tanga Odoi. Help us with the facts,” the President wrote.
