Reports Leo Odera Omolo
ASPIRING candidates who belong to the NRM but were nominated as independents should return their party cards, the party’s deputy spokesperson, Ofwono Opondo, has said.
Tom Butime, Fox Odoi and Urban Tibamanya
Commenting on the fate of independents yesterday, Ofwono said candidates who hold party offices at local level, should also hand over, as the party constitution demands,the government owned NEWVISION reported this morning.
“We expect the party chairman in the district to write to them and demand that they return the cards and resign from office just as it happened in the elections in 2006.”
He said the NRM treats independents as members of any other party “and NRM would be right to de-campaign you. Independents open the window of opportunity for the opposition to win.”
However, he acknowledged that because party primaries were not ‘fairly’ conducted in many areas, many members had genuine reasons to stand as independents.
“As all this goes on, the best that can be done is to persuade them to drop the idea. This is what the Hajji Moses Kigongo’s committee is doing,” he said.
Party electoral commission vice- chairman Prof. Elijah Mushemeza said: “Those people have left the party. It is their decision and you cannot have authority over them. We shall support our flag bearers.”
The NRM scrapped electoral colleges selecting candidates, to avoid the problem of independent candidates but it has persisted.
Though standing as independents, members insist they still love the party and will support President Yoweri Museveni in 2011.
“The final verdict should be made by the people, but we love our party,” state minister for water Jennifer Namuyangu, who is standing as independent for Kibuuku Woman MP said. She promised to campaign for Museveni, but to oppose “self-imposed flag-bearers.”
Soon after the primaries, President Yoweri Museveni said the party would not tolerate independents, but said all genuine cases of electoral malpractices would be addressed.
He said there could be re-runs if the complaints were valid.
Accordingly, the party set up a committee headed by Vice-chairman Hajji Moses Kigongo to investigate irregularities in the primaries. Over 600 petitions were filed.
On November 18, fresh party primaries were held in the disputed areas and flag bearers were announced. However, many of the petitioners felt their grievances were not “properly” handled.
The independent candidates nominated on Thursday included ministers Jennifer Namuyangu and Dr. James Nsaba Buturo, Jacob Oboth, Ruth Tuma, Joyce Babiha, Nalugo Ssekiziyivu and Margaret Muhanga. Others are Tom Butime, Sanjay Tanna, Rose Munyira, and Jane Alisemera. At least seven independents had been nominated on Thursday. They are Isaac Lwanga, (Rubaga North), Musa Bwanika (Makindye East), Judith Matovu (Kampala), Daniel Muwonge (Nakawa), Eliajah Jjemba (Kawempe South), Nsubuga Kijjambu, ( Kawempe South) and Allen Kisege ( Rubaga North).
ENDS