A total of 23 disgruntled members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) have written to the Party’s Electoral commission over unfair East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) selections
130 aspirants expressed interest to be elected to occupy six of the nine slots for Uganda at the sub-organ of the East African Community – EAC.
The group has threatened to sue the party for the criteria used in selecting EALA members that left none of the new nominees selected.
In a letter seen on July 11, 2022, they expressed their intention to sue the NRM Secretary-General, Richard Todwong, and Dr. Tanga Odoi, the NRM Electoral Commission chairperson.
Through their lawyers Robert Rutaro from Elgon Advocates, the distressed youth cite unfair, undemocratic, and unconstitutional treatment by the party Central Executive Committee (CEC).
CEC on July 8th, 2022, recommended the incumbent EALA members to the NRM Parliamentary Caucus as the NRM candidates for the EALA seats.
They include Mary Mugyenyi, Rose Akol, Stephen George Odongo, Denis Namara, James Kakooza, and Paul Musamali Mwasa.
“The 4th Central Executive Committee – CEC of the National Resistance Movement – NRM, at its 10th meeting sitting at Entebbe Friday, July 8th, 2022 hereby recommends that the incumbent EALA be maintained in recognition of their exceptional performance to continue their tenure for another term," Richard Todwong the NRM Secretary General communicated.
The aggrieved aspirants accuse CEC of being unfair, unjust, and undemocratic.
“By ring-fencing the positions of Member of Parliament for EALA, our clients were effectively denied an opportunity to democratically contest and be voted for in those positions which is a violation of their constitutional rights. Our clients were denied the opportunity to express themselves, campaign, and mobilize support for their candidature and thus tantamount to disenfranchisement,” says lawyer Rutaro.
He adds that the aspirants incurred expenses in terms of time and financial resources in preparation for and mobilizing support to be elected as EALA NRM parliamentary flag bearers.
Article 9 (1) (e) of the NRM Constitution provides that every member of the NRM shall have a right to take part in elections and be eligible for election in any elective office within the structures of the NRM or appointed to any committee, structure, commission, or delegation of NRM.