EALA POLLS: NRM contestants call out Museveni, CEC for endorsing incumbents

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KAMPALA —A section of NRM members has petitioned their party to reverse its decision of locking them out of the primaries to choose those to contest the EALA elections.

This is after the party leadership chose to keep the six incumbent members locked out of the rest of the 130 aspirants.

The aspirants, who failed to make cut are now threatening to go to court to protest the party’s top organ for suffocating democracy

Addressing reporters in Kampala, the distrangled contestants aimed a subtle dig at CEC— noting that it’s is clear that “we were denied an opportunity to democratically contest and be voted for in those positions which is a violation of our constitutional rights.”

“The decision to ring-fence these positions exclusive to the incumbents is unfair, unjust, undemocratic and unconstitutional,” the group that include Ambrose Nampwera, Issa Kato, Gilbert Agaba andRuth Karungi Tukahirwa wrote in a joint statement read to journalists.

The other include Mivule Ronald and Robert Webale.

“We are deeply saddened by the hypocrisy and irresponsibility exhibited by the NRM Electoral Commission to invite us to express interest in contesting for ring-fenced positions,” they said, rejecting CEC’s selection process.

“We reject this selection process and appeal as follows:
I. That CEC quashes its decision taken because its outside their mandate and powers”.

“That the Electoral Commission carries out a democratic electoral process as required and present winners to the NRM Parliamentary Caucus to participate in a free and democratic election as democracy requires. It’s not too late to take responsibility and do the right thing for the Party and the East African Community”.

Speaking to UG Standard, Isa Kato, one of the aspirants hit at CEC for suffocating democratic processes
within the party.

“CEC, is becoming the problem to the country. That group has become a rubber stamp for all bad decisions being made in the party and the Country at large. It is our duty to fight such impunity,” Kato said.

He also claimed that the President had betrayed his party cadres by deliberately deviating away from all the agreed positions including sending everyone to the Caucus to canvas for votes from the actual voters.

“Internal democracy in the party has to be exercised”. He added.

FULL STATEMENT 

Fellow Ugandans and members of the press, we have gathered here today to address you on the matter at hand and that is the EALA Elections that never happened within our party.

Please bear in mind that we have a duty as enshrined in the Nrm constitution (Chapter 3,9 (d)) to offer constructive criticism of any member, official, policy, program or activity within the organs of Nrm.

On the 28th June 2022 we were invited by the NRM Electoral Commission to express interest for contesting for the parliamentary seats (flag bearers) at the regional legislative assembly in a letter titled “CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR POSITION OF NRM FLAG BEARER FOR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT TO THE EAST AFRICAN LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (EALA).

We all tendered in our respective written expressions of interest to the NRM Electoral Commission, and the same were acknowledged.

We were then invited on 8th July 2022 to Entebbe Statehouse by the President of Uganda and Chairman of the party His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa to participate in the vetting process before CEC as the NRM party flag bearers to which we all obliged.

To our dismay, the top most organ of the party, CEC, made a resolution to that effect immediately after our meeting that;
1. The incumbent EALA members be maintained in recognition of their exceptional performance, to continue their tenure for another term as Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
2. The incumbent EALA members be endorsed to the NRM parliamentary caucus as NRM candidates for the position of Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).

This decision reached upon by CEC to endorse the incumbent EALA MPs disregards all internal democratic processes of electing members on merit.

It is clear that we were denied an opportunity to democratically contest and be voted for in those positions which is a violation of our constitutional rights.
The decision to ring-fence these positions exclusive to the incumbents is unfair, unjust, undemocratic and unconstitutional.

One wonders where CEC derives the powers to ring-fence positions of flag bearer-ship of EALA MPs to which that power is constitutionally a mandate of the NRM parliamentary caucus.

We are deeply saddened by the hypocrisy and irresponsibility exhibited by the NRM Electoral Commission to invite us to express interest in contesting for ring-fenced positions.

WE REJECT THIS SELECTION PROCESS and Appeal as follows:
I. That CEC quashes its decision taken because its outside their mandate and powers
II. That the Electoral Commission carries out a democratic electoral process as required and present winners to the NRM Parliamentary Caucus to participate in a free and democratic election as democracy requires.

It’s not too late to take responsibility and do the right thing for the Party and the East African Community.

NRM EALA CONTESTANTS

1. Nampwera Ambrose 0788721608
2. Issa Kato 0753538933
3. Agaba Gilbert 0773191288
4. Ruth Karungi Tukahirwa 0772647799
5. Mivule Ronald 0776660606
6. Robert Webale 0774113758