President Yoweri Museveni has concluded his tour in the western region in areas where the ruling NRM party electoral commission called off parliamentary primary elections due to violence.
In other areas, results were contested by some of the losers and eventual winners are yet to be announced.
The President who is also NRM Party National chairman, visited Mbarara and Sembabule districts, where he met NRM parliamentary aspirants and other officials from the two districts plus Isingiro, Kiruhura and Kazo.
He noted that it is important for those seeking leadership positions in the NRM to appreciate the party’s ideology.
“People are fighting hard to go to Parliament because MPs unilaterally increased their salaries. They earn more than our scientists and other critical professionals. I tried to discourage them but they insisted. This should not be the motivation to seek parliamentary seats, it should be about serving their people. Politics is working for the people, to help them get out of poverty and solve their problems. It should not be about you the contestant escaping from poverty yourself” he advised.
He said that for those who were violent in the party primaries, including those who masterminded it, will be arrested and prosecuted.
“I have spoken to families of those whose loved ones were killed in these incidents, we shall see how to support them” Museveni added.
Elections were called off in both Mawogola North and West constituencies in Sembabule district, following clashes between supporters off the President’s brother, one Sodo Kaguta and Minister Sam Kitesa’s daughter, Shartis Musherure in Mawogola North.
In Mawogola West the incumbent Joseph Ssekabiito Kitayimbwa and the Sembabule district Woman MP Hanifa Bangirana Kawooya are also fighting and this election was also called off.
On the issue of his relatives contesting, Museveni warned that his name should not come up when his biological relatives are contesting. “However, I will table in the party CEC the issue of high-ranking party officials backing their relatives to fight other NRM contenders. For me, like Jesus, my relatives are all and any NRM member who does the right thing according to the party constitution.”
In villages where voting did not happen for one reason or another, he says the exercise will be done and urged NRM district chairpersons to be neutral in these party primaries. “All in all, we must have order in the party.”
He says verification of results is underway in Kiruhura and that those who rigged have a three-day amnesty starting Thursday 10th Sept.2020 to come clean.
“In districts where there is contention, verification of results is under way. In Kiruhura, for example, we have verified results from 151 villages and we are left with 60 other villages. We shall make our independent conclusions. About rigging and fraud. I gave all those who did it a three-day amnesty starting yesterday 10th Sept.2020, to come clean. If they do not heed this call, we shall announce the true results and instead prosecute those fraudsters” Museveni warned.
